Sleep!

Sleep, so familiar but oh so strange. Like food and drink, it is a basic necessity of life. A daily recurring phenomenon to which you surrender a third of your life with the help of an internal biological clock. During sleep, your brain is flushed clean, causing connections between brain cells to change, with some connections becoming stronger so you remember things. Last but not least, sleep also helps make stress and emotions less intense. Science has discovered a lot by now, but not everything, which is why it remains an interesting fact even in the realm of the arts. The family exhibition Sleep! starting August 24, takes you on a small exploration into the vast domain of sleep and dream, through the eyes of some fifty visual artists and designers. They will let you experience the essential importance and privilege of rest.

The expo fits well into the series of low-threshold but fascinating themed exhibitions with which the Amersfoort-based Kunsthal KAdE has distinguished itself for years. (FD Personal)

WAKE SLEEP DREAM REPEAT
In the exhibition, you walk through the four sleep stages; from slumber to light sleep, then on to deep sleep and (sleep) walk through the dream to a large dormitory in which the bed is central. From fairy-like to sometimes harrowing sleeping places in paintings and sculptures such as a bed in the shape of a grater by Mona Hatoum, the heavenly bed by Hans van Bentem, or the painted self-portrait of a sleeping Teun Hocks in a moving box. By no means everyone has an ideal sleep cycle; stress and anxiety often lead to disorders such as insomnia and having nightmares. For this dark side of sleep, take the detour through the Sleep/Wake space. Meet the penetrating work Tired by Aalt van de Glind, which deals with his girlfriend's chronic fatigue. After this, if you wish, start a second tour of the exhibition and undergo a second or third sleep cycle, just until you hopefully leave the exhibition completely refreshed!

Why do we sleep the way we sleep? The Amersfoort-based Kunsthal KAdE seeks an answer to that question with a dream of an exhibition, in which you can - sometimes literally - sink completely. (Nederlands Dagblad)

Slumber / light sleep / deep sleep / dream
In slumber there is the mysterious blue hour, the transition between day and night (and vice versa) depicted by Yasmijn Karhof and Merel Karhof in their work The Blue Hour. Sarah Mei Herman captures the special sensitive dozing state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep (hypnagogia). The feeling of light sweet sleep, is very sensitively expressed in the face in cast glass made by Leiko Ikemura. The feeling of falling into a deep sleep shows the video 'Sleeping Beauty' by Carlijn Jacobs very nicely. In deep REM sleep, your brain comes to rest, and creative connections are forged. Mladen Stilinović created this self-portrait series of a sleeping artist in 1978. The work is aptly called: Artist at Work.

On your way into dreamland you stumble upon the work Threshold of Complexity by Harm van den Berg. The deep black background as the representation of the sleep state, while the white drawn networks evoke associations with the unconscious brain processes during different sleep stages.

Additional location Mannenzaal
During the Sleep! exhibition, on specific days in September and October, you could visit the monumental Mannenzaal at Westsingel 47 in Amersfoort of the St. Pieters and Bloklands Gasthuis. Built in 1531, de Mannenzaal with accompanying Chapel still has 22 original box beds, allowing visitors to get a unique idea of how the guests lived here. Every summer Living History Foundation in de Mannenzaal bring the past to life. They portray history through demonstrations of everyday life. During the Sleep! exhibition, various works of art were on display in de Mannenzaal for a month.

In the chapel you found a giant rag doll made by artist Frank Koolen that you were allowed to hug. The doll is clearly no longer new. It seems to have been held and cuddled endlessly until its owner fell asleep. A repetitive hummable singing caught your attention; leaving you with the enigmatic Adrift was sucked in from filmmaker Julika Rudelius. And you could meet Voulez-Vous Coucher, the interactive installation by playwright Carolien Arnold. There was also an extensive public program.

At various times (Sept. 28 (premiere), Oct. 5, 12 and 19) was the performance - created especially for the exhibition Voulez-Vous Coucher performed that was developed by theater maker Carolien Arnold and the MAAT Saxophone Quartet, commissioned by September Me and Kunsthal KAdE.

Public Program Kunsthal KAdE
During the exhibition there will be all kinds of activities for young and old around the theme of sleep. From the weekly boarding tour, yoga among the artworks, children's tours, to sleepwalking with the Amersfoort Guides and many more workshops, tours and activities. Also in the KAdEStudio kun je zelf aan de slag met slaapverhalen, slaaphoudingen en ontdek je een heleboel slaapverwekkende weetjes. Bekijk de volledige programmering op de site.

What is your superpower?
Are you visiting KAdE with your (grand)children? For families with children ages 6-12, the exhibition Sleep! exhibition, the family route SUPERKUNST! (free) to borrow. Because did you know that works of art have superpowers? Through chatting questions, fantasy tasks and games, you and your family will discover the superpowers of art. 

Summary
The family exhibition Sleep! takes you on a little exploration into the vast domain of sleep and dreams, through the eyes of some fifty visual artists and designers. Here, for a moment, another time reigns. You go through the four sleep stages from slumber to light sleep, continue to deep sleep and (sleep) walk through the dream to the great hall where the bed takes center stage. Or you make the detour via Sleep/Wake, because by no means everyone has an ideal sleep cycle. Stress and anxiety often lead to insomnia and sleep problems. If you wish, make a second round trip to a second sleep cycle, just as long until you hopefully leave the exhibition completely refreshed!

Catalog
Bij de tentoonstelling verscheen een kleine geïllustreerde catalogus. ISBN: ISBN/EAN: 978-94-90153-39-7