Max takes on Museumplein!

A lovely addition to my Amsterdam itinerary was visiting museumplein! I had already set up an appointment for the Van Gogh, not realizing that i was next to the other awesome museums! Unfortunately, I could not get to every single one as my energy and time constraints would not permit. However, I am honored to share what I did get to experience out of my time there. 

Van Gogh — it is appreciated by the Van Gogh museum if you select a timeslot ahead of your visit, so you won’t have to wait in line for very long. I was able to receive a museumkaart (Museum card) which I applied for online booking, and I got my ticket for free! (The museumkaart is applicable to numerous museums for discounted rates as well). I did not have a particular piece in mind I wanted to see, I was just happy to be in the presence of an esteemed painters’ works! I personally enjoyed observing Van Gogh’s lifetime through a timeline that you could follow from one end to the other. It explained his upbringing with his brother, his mental health struggles, and the artistic goals he had set for himself throughout his time. Despite that, It was an honor to see the seemingly endless self-portraits of Van Gogh and how he may have honored his mental health struggles through his self depictions! 

Stedelijk —I visited this museum on two occasions, one was dedicated to a class about Sexuality/Gender and the other was part of the excursion planned by the lovely IES Abroad Amsterdam Center staff labeled a “museum crawl”. The first time I went was for the museum crawl, where I was completely enamored with the 80s era of contemporary art that they had displayed. I have always loved the dramatic, almost unruly expression of art that seemed evident to me from the 80s era, so it has always earned my gravitation! I loved seeing the different mediums of human(like) subjects through glass, geometric shapes, sculpture, and photography! They were all my favorites and truly all a must-see.

Recalling my pleasant experiences at Wereldmuseum and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I had gone to the WM on a class excursion to observe artifacts meant to represent the history of the people who were colonized by the Dutch. There were preserved artifacts such as tobacco pipes, tin cans, and tea sets as tangible products those colonized were exploited to create. It was very informative and further supported by videos or imagery combined with it. As for Madame Tussaud, I had always thought it was so riveting to create a person out of wax as if all that were missing were a soul or unsure if it were even missing a soul. I intentionally did not research which statues would be there, but to my pleasant surprise there were many! I got to take pictures with The Rock, Tina Turner, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, and you’ll just have to see the rest yourself! Safe Travels!