Merging scents and storytelling, we are are working towards a large exhibition in 2022/3 together with partner institutions. Our research and programmes initiated since 2019 lead towards revisiting the histories that have flowed through Oosterdok, or Eastern Dock, through more embodied and sensorial artistic practices. The Oosterdok area plays a crucial role in Amsterdam's growth since the Dutch colonial period to present times. We are curious about what hidden narratives a history of the "intimate senses" might reveal and about the role of smells, tastes and touch in the development of a city. Get nosy and dive into our ongoing research and artists' projects in this blog!
Oosterdok is a body of water in Amsterdam. Nowadays, the eastern dock plays a crucial role in adorning the Amsterdam skyline. It features proud contemporary architecture that stand stark against the pre-modern city’s core: the NEMO science museum, the Muziekgebouw, and the OBA library, to name a…
The smell of fireworks, of the sulfur within the ignited gunpowder, permeates the streets of Amsterdam as the Central European Time Zone welcomes in the new year. Illegal for the public’s usage at all points throughout the year except from 6pm on December 31st until 2am on January 1st, scenes akin…
Have you smelled something stinky over Amsterdam lately?
With most people staying home during the ‘intelligent lockdown’ in the Netherlands, there are fewer businesses operating; less vehicles on the road; less planes in the sky; less boats on the water and seemingly less pollution in the air. As a city dweller, you may have become so accustomed to the…
What the Golden Age of Amsterdam and Parasite have in common
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite was not only the first South Korean film to be nominated for the Best Picture award, as well as six other Oscar nominations, it has just become the first film not in the English language to win the Film Academy’s prestigious accolade. The film acts to illustrate how the…
An artist conversation with OHO curator, Jo-Lene Ong
Mariko is one of the artists selected from our 2019 open call . She is currently preparing for her upcoming exhibition with us of her new work, ' Under The Harbour' that involves underwater smells, maps, and music. I caught up with her on a live google document: talking about bodies of water, the…
Amsterdam is undergoing a continual process of gentrification. Opinions towards gentrification are far from homogenous and have been extensively reported on, but one question rarely asked of this process is what smells can be attributed to an influx of relatively affluent residents, raising…
