On view from August 24: exhibition 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 and therefore it remains an interesting fact even in the realm of the arts. The family exhibition Sleep! takes you from Aug. 24 into a small exploration into the vast realm 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.

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 takes center stage. From Hans van Bentem's canopy bed, a bed in the shape of a grater by Mona Hatoum, to 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! 

Additional location the Men's Room

During the exhibition Sleep! you can visit the monumental Mannenzaal of the St. Pieters and Bloklands Guest House. This Men's Hall cum Chapel, built in 1531, still has 22 original bedsteads, allowing visitors to get a unique glimpse of how the guests lived here. Several works of art can be experienced in the Men's Hall.

A repetitive hummable chant is the first thing that catches your attention; with it, you also immediately become the enigmatic Adrift sucked in by filmmaker Julika Rudelius. In the chapel you will find a giant rag doll created by artist Frank Koolen that you may hug. The doll is clearly no longer new. She seems to have been held and cuddled endlessly until the owner fell asleep. There is also an extensive public program.

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

This is what you can experience at 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, a film programming with the Lady for toddlers, to sleepwalking with the Amersfoort Guides and many more workshops, tours and activities. We will share full programming on our activity page.

Get to work yourself in the KAdEStudio
Discover sleep stories, sleep positions and a host of sleep-inducing facts in THE KAdEStudio. On your way to the studio you will walk past a wall filled with facts about sleep aids, sleeping together, sleep-inducing foods, the weirdest alarm clocks and get to know the somnox; a sleep robot that simulates breathing movements. Be inspired by the fairy tale stories of film director and animator Lotte Reiniger, invent your own bedtime story and let your story come to life in the shadow theater. Or, like photographer Ted Spagna, capture sleeping postures!

What is your superpower?
Are you visiting KAdE with your (grand)children? Ask for the family route at the box office and see the exhibition with different eyes. Because did you know that works of art have superpowers? Through chatting questions, fantasy assignments and games, you and your family will discover the superpowers of art. For families with children ages 6-12, the exhibition Sleep! exhibition, the family route SUPERKUNST! (free) to borrow. Afterwards, you will receive a super art collecting card to take home. Will you collect them all?

This fall, Kunsthal KAdE takes you on a small exploration into the vast domain of sleep and dreams through the eyes of some fifty visual artists and designers. Detach yourself from the hustle and bustle, step into a world of peace and surrender, and get carried away by the four stages of sleep.

The exhibition Sleep! can be seen starting Aug. 24.