Dearest creature of the night
Published on October 17th, 2024
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Nightlife protagonists from Amsterdam, Europe and beyond were asked the same question: What is an Institute for NightCulture?
The Institute for Night Culture (INC) is on its way: a new type of cultural institution in Amsterdam, solely focused on night culture, and a unique case in the world.
The mission of this new institute is to present, produce and document progressive night culture. It will be a place for artistic production at the intersection of nightlife and contemporary art. The launch of the institute is organized in collaboration with the Stedelijk, museum for modern and contemporary arts and culture and known for identifying emerging artists and new initiatives.
While construction has started on its future building, designed by architecture office XML and nested in a 17th century courtyard in the heart of Amsterdam, the symposium intends to be a catalyst for building its program. As an institution solely dedicated to night culture does not exist anywhere in the world, now there is a rare chance to invent it together.
Nightlife protagonists from Amsterdam, Europe and beyond were asked the same question: What is an Institute for NightCulture? Their answers are collected in a kaleidoscopic book that will be presented during this symposium at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Together, this polyphony of answers situates the foundational framework for the future Institute for NightCulture. Anyone with a taste for free spirit, contemporary art and club culture is very welcome to join and share their thoughts.
*Pteropus
Dearest creature of the night,
The night doesn’t sleep.
It breathes culture, presents quirky experimentation, and harbours sanctuaries.
It bestows a time of discovery, exploration, and sharing with others.
Moving between slow and fast rhythms,
Bouncing off fifty shades of light,
Navigating with keen eyesight, the nocturnal boasts a healthy dose of curiosity.
Persecuted for real or perceived disturbances,
Fleeting ephemeral experiences spawn a vulnerable future.
Dispersing seeds, fragments, and flashes, they regenerate desolate and derelict spaces.
Fabricating plots and galaxies,
The hours of darkness play out significance in art, folklore, fashion, and design.
Pollinating human desires, the night turns into the currency of the day.
With pelage long and silky, and a dense underfur,
The nightly creatures display viral behaviours that indicate long-term survival.
Pursuing wide-ranging movements and covering a thousand miles, they are consistently seek-sensing resource patches and settlements.
Contrasting and clashing, the creatures form an unbroken ring.
A kaleidoscopic past presents the future.
The night breathes.
*Annet Dekker (1970) is a curator and researcher based at the University of Amsterdam and London South Bank University.
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