Amsterdam Art Week & Iona: 20 to 25 May

From 20 to 25 May, Amsterdam Art Week will take place. As part of the programme, the Iona Stichting will open its doors, including during the weekend of 24–25 May from 12:00 to 16:00. Especially for Amsterdam Art Week, Germaine Kruip will present her sculpture The Portal in the light court of the Iona Huis.

On Thursday 22 May, she will speak about her work during an Artist Talk from 12:00 to 13:00. On Friday 23 May, a second Artist Talk will take place from 16:00 to 17:00.

Since 2017, Germaine Kruip has been creating what she calls “sonic sculptures” in collaboration with the renowned German instrument makers Thein Brass. These pieces are made from a special metal alloy and function both as autonomous sculptures and playable instruments, inviting interaction and exploration.

Portal Brass Line—a geometrically polished copper frame—acts both as an instrument and an architectural threshold: a gateway into an expanded field of perception. Visitors are invited to “enter” this transitional space and “play” the work using a mallet, creating an almost tangible auditory environment. The spatial sound resonates through the bodies and minds of those who pass through, gently activating a broader sensory field.

As with Kruip’s oeuvre in general, Portal Brass Line empowers the viewer—both in the creation and interpretation of the artwork. It reminds us that art can be more than something to observe; it can be something to live with, engage with, and even grow through.

Elsewhere in the Iona Huis on the Herengracht, you will encounter the work of artists who each, in their own way, weave a movement for change. In the garden room, you’ll find work by Janet Vollebregt. Her practice creates environments centred on stillness and connection. Drawing on her background in architecture and her many years of study in both Eastern and Western philosophies and therapies, she explores the power of silence and the interdependence of all things around us.

On Sunday 25 May, from 13:00 to 14:00, Janet Vollebregt will give an Artist Talk and meditation session. This gathering includes a short silent meditation, followed by an inspiring talk in which she shares her ideas and working methods.

You can also encounter the monumental artwork Guernica de la Ecología, created by Claudy Jongstra. This piece represents a call for greater biodiversity, a plea for dignified craftsmanship, and the regeneration of healthy agriculture in an inclusive working environment. The artwork travels to different locations to spark conversation and raise awareness.

Gijs Frieling creates large-scale, temporary murals and paintings. In one of the rooms at the Iona Huis, a collaborative artwork has been created with Frieling, together with the staff and board members of the Iona Stichting.

The sculptures of Molly Palmer welcome and illuminate all those who enter the shared hallway of the Iona Huis. Her work engages in a dialogue with the historic building, and with the identity and principles of the Stichting.

The lives of women and the natural world played an important role in the work of Ernée ’t Hooft. She became best known for her wall hangings, in which she depicted figures and narrative scenes using various embroidery techniques and limited use of appliqué. Together with her husband, architect Jan van der Linden, she co-founded the Iona Stichting.