Performance:

Dusking

Marjolijn van Heemstra

16 أيار / مايو 2025

You don't have to wait for nightfall to experience the darkness. Just after sunset, the great transition begins: twilight. The golden hour turns into the blue hour, the light fades, and colours become cooler. We often associate the falling of darkness with disappearance. The light, the day, the noise—all seem to diminish. But the day doesn’t disappear. We do. And as we fade away, something else appears. Bats. Moths. A world of greys.

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Dusking Performance/Marjolijn van Hemstra - Copyright & Credits: Marjolijn van Hemstra Marjolijn van Hemstra began 'Dusking' in January 2023 at the Parktheater in Eindhoven.

The term 'dusking' originates from a time when people preferred to keep the light on as long as possible and waited for the darkness to arrive at the beginning of the evening. It was a way to save energy but also, primarily, a communal end-of-day ritual. A tiny transitional ritual in which work was set aside and (evening) rest began. For the audio performance 'Dusking,' we gather at sunset. The audience watches the darkness rise and listens with headphones to a poetic narrative about how boundaries blur, the day dissolves, and transitions into night.
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Dusking Performance/Marjolijn van Hemstra - Copyright & Credits: Marjolijn van Hemstra In September 2023, 'Dusking' was featured at the Amsterdam Dark Festival at Huis te Vraag (see photo), the NDSM wharf, ARTIS, and Amsterdam locals organised their own dusking sessions, either at home or outdoors (see photo).

Marjolijn van Heemstra

Marjolijn van Heemstra (1981) studied Religious Studies with the aim of becoming a conflict mediator. Before she could pursue that path, she ventured into theatre and now works as a poet, writer, theatre maker, journalist, and podcaster. In her work, she explores in an accessible way how we can think differently about ourselves and the world. With her poetry collections and novels, Marjolijn has won several literary awards, and her latest novel has been translated into eight languages.

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Beeld-Wat-is-ruimte-waard-Patrick-Post-600x776 - Marjolijn van Heemstra _ Profile Image

Information

16th of May, 21:30 - 22:00.
The 30-minute performance will be held once in Mediamatic's Biotoop as part of the Open City Monastery opening night.
For questions, please send an email to program@mediamatic.nl.

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Rites of Play - Opening Night flyer Free tickets  16-05-2025 Design by Sky