Sleep! in de Mannenzaal

Welcome to the most sleep-inducing place in Amersfoort: de Mannenzaal to the Westsingel 47 in Amersfoort. Built in 1531 with perhaps the most important purpose: sleep. The monumental Mannenzaal of the St. Pieters and Bloklands Gasthuis was a home where sick and old people were cared for. What's special about de Mannenzaal is that it still contains 22 original box beds, giving visitors a unique insight into how the guests lived here. Every summer Living History Foundation in de Mannenzaal bring the past to life. They depict historical events and/or time periods through demonstrations of everyday life.

Sleep!
Especially for the Exhibition Sleep! at Kunsthal KAdE, de Mannenzaal opens its doors to the public. In the Mannenzaal you will experience a program full of visual art, theater, architecture and music. This temporary additional venue is accessible on specific days in September and October from Friday through Sunday.

Artists
Several works of art are on display in de Mannenzaal, including Adrift, a film by Julika Rudelius. Through a repetitive humming chant, you are sucked into an enigmatic space where people are half-waking and half-sleeping. In the chapel you will find a giant rag doll created by artist Frank Koolen. Above all, feel free to lie or sit on the doll, close your eyes and think about what this doll is dreaming about.

Or meet "Voulez-Vous Coucher", the interactive installation by playwright Carolien Arnold. Many people could use some help sleeping. What really helps you fall asleep? Explore and discover what works for you. You will be taken through sensations that stimulate sleep, through tips and tricks from past and present, and through peculiar sleeping habits and persistent sleep myths.

On the following days, de Mannenzaal with additional art program is open to the free public. Visit between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Open to free public
Fri, Sept. 27 and Sun, Sept. 29
Fri Oct. 4, Sat Oct. 5 and Sun Oct. 6
Fri, Oct. 11 and Sun, Oct. 13
Fri Oct. 18, Sat Oct. 19 and Sun Oct. 20

Activities in de Mannenzaal
Also visit the musical theater performance of the same name 'Voulez-Vous Coucher? 'Would you like to sleep?'. Through music and sounds take an experimental journey into dreamland, for everyone aged 12 and up. The performance was created especially for the exhibition Sleep! by theater producer Carolien Arnold and the MAAT Saxophone Quartet, commissioned by September Me and Kunsthal KAdE. The premiere of this special musical performance is on Sept. 28.

Dates musical theater performance Voulez-Vous Coucher?
Sept. 28 (premiere)
October 5
October 12
October 19