My Instagram synopsis of Amsterdam was: “Basically heaven on earth—besides the fact that the food is underwhelming.” I don’t take it back; who needs food when you have biking, art, and soft-lush green spaces accessible to everyone? Amsterdam was the hidden gem of my trip because it was the most spontaneous segment of my Euro-tour. I decided in Paris that I would venture beyond London to broaden my understanding of these places through the conversations, arts and fashions I experienced. Amsterdam was a city where I knew no one, had no set itinerary, and had no idea what to expect. Yet it quickly became my favorite city in Europe. The city embraced me seamlessly—I even found my favorite bag in my favorite color— it unlocked a new level of tranquility and exposed me to art controversies and principles.
Stedelijk Museum
Art that is contemporary and modern is often undermined by people who want the visual information fed to them. When you pierce that digitally prescribed urge of gratification, you are elicited by craftsmanship, semiotic strategy and silent storytelling. Stedelijk simply is Amsterdam’s modern and contemporary art museum, but from an arts‑PR lens it reads like a global relational brand, exceeding its material significance of just an art institution. It positions itself as the mustsee home for modern and contemporary art and design, with a collection that runs from early 20th‑century icons (think Mondrian, Matisse, Malevich, Warhol) to today’s experimental voices. When I was in Amsterdam I had the privilege of seeing Yves Klein’s blue up close in person. His signature blue has caused a bit of drama in the art world(and I love the controversy). Basically, Klein worked with a chemist to make a very intense ultramarine blue and registered the process so it became strongly associated with him. People say he “patented a colour,” which makes others uncomfortable, because it feels like claiming a basic thing (a shade of blue) as personal property. And it stirs moral outrage in the art, philosophical, rhetorical and cultural spaces, all debating if one can own a colour, even if it’s just the shade? His estate is very protective of the name and branding, so when other artists sell similar blues and use “Klein” in the name, they can get into legal trouble. Either way, the discourse is something I'm invested in.
More coming soon... it’s midterms right now