Amsterdam – Through the eyes of Eberhard van der Laan

From the 17^th of June until the 4^th of November “The Most Beautiful City”, an exposition on Amsterdam through the eyes of the late mayor Eberhard van der Laan, is on display in the Amsterdam Museum. The mayor himself worked on this exposition until right before his death, proving his unconditional love for the city.

More about Amsterdam, Through the eyes of Eberhard van der Laan

The exposition has over 80 pictures and other items that came from the city archives. It focuses on how the city and its inhabitants dealt with the fast growth and economic bloom of the city. Van der Laan hopes that it will spark a debate on how the city will deal with the changes and challenges it faces right now. For this very special exhibition, the entire Amsterdam Gallery has been made available.

Van der Laan as guest curator

Van der Laan had a clear vision for this exposition, but choosing between the various items from the city archives did prove to be a great challenge. His final selection includes both historical and contemporary objects. Guests will see paintings and prints that tell something about the growth of the city in the Golden Age, but also photographs that show that tourism also caused problems in the city over a century ago. With this he wants to show that the problems the city faces aren’t new, and that some of our most precious buildings wouldn’t even exist without these struggles. Amsterdam would have never had its canals if it wasn’t for the shortage of housing in the 17^th century and the Concert Building and the Vondelpark would have never been there without the economic bloom in the 19^th century.

The Amsterdam Museum is open daily between 10 am and 5 pm and free for everyone who wants to see Amsterdam – Through the eyes of Eberhard van der Laan.