And so it shall receive. Late September's shuttering of Stedelijk CS begins the final march towards a return to the Museumplein, with the new Benthem Crouwel designed building promising to be quite the anti-CS. A bright and airy atrium will serve as a new entrance and will house the museum’s restaurant, info center, and shop. Above this will sit a new exhibition, conservation, office, and storage spaces, all in a structure which, from various angles, has the look of an ascending Concorde aircraft or an intergalactic spacecraft about to dock with the Stedelijk's original 1895 structure.

But without a building to call home, where will the Stedelijk "go"?
True to form, the institution answers this question with a mix of tradition and innovation. While it patiently awaits the completion of its new digs, the museum plans a mix of the expected and the unexpected, with gems from the collection on display in venues throughout Amsterdam, as well as art and events popping up on city streets. What follows is a preview of some of "Stedelijk in de stad,"
the Museum's "in the meantime" solution to its temporary homelessness.

Post CS, Stedelijk's previous temporary home

Stedelijk at the Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh has agreed to generously supply its neighbor with some wall space over the next several months, upon which will appear marquee pieces from the Stedelijk's expansive collection. Several exhibitions are slated with a few already underway. Currently on view (through 9 November) are works by Kazimir Malevich, the Russian master of geometric abstraction, as well as a selection of 'druksel prints'
by influential Dutch printmaker Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman (through 12 October). The shows provide an interesting complement, portraying the two artist’s love of shapes and awareness of how individual elements coalesce to form a united image.

Coming soon is "Fauvists and Expressionists" (14 November 2008 – 5 March 2009), highlighting the work that followed in the footsteps of Van Gogh's groundbreaking advances. Expect to see what were once considered wild experiments in color, craft, and content by the likes of Henri Matisse and Ernst Krichner.

Summer (26 June – 23 August 2009) brings "Avant-gardes '20 / '60" to the Van Gogh and seeks to reveal the parallel tracks of artistic innovation during these different decades of the 20th century. A host of seminal works from heavy hitters like Picasso, Warhol, Schwitters, and Mondrian will be shown, commemorating an era where many emerging art heroes landed their first European shows at the Stedelijk.

Stedelijk at the Nieuwe Kerk

The Nieuwe Kerk continues its well-executed exploration of touchy themes with aide from the Stedelijk collection. Adding to the socially-aware discussion raised by shows like "Black Is Beautiful"
and "Hidden Afgahnistan" comes "Holy Inspiration: Religion and Spirituality in Modern Art" (13 December 2008 to 19 April 2009), a consideration of modern and contemporary artists’ interpretation of faiths. The opinions of luminaries such as Chagall, Bacon, and Gilbert & George will be on display in a show that promises to inspire contemplation of our many beliefs.

Stedelijk in de stad

So much of modern and contemporary art is an attempt to escape the boundaries of a museum's flawless white walls. In this tradition, the Stedelijk offers several programs designed to bring art to the streets of Amsterdam, reminding us that museums are more than just buildings, but organizations dedicated to the ideas of art as well as the objects themselves.

Underway now (through September 2009) is "Fencing the Museum" wherein every two months, a fresh batch of artist-designed posters will cover the barrier surrounding the Stedelijk construction site. A collaboration with the Gerrit Rietveld Academy's Research Group on Art and Public Space, "Fencing the Museum" will use past promotional materials as its inspirational base, allowing seven young artists to explore the intersection of art and publicity.

"Visibly Absent" will follow, materializing in January and running through September 2009. The Stedelijk is somewhat ambiguous about what to expect, but the museum's website offers a teasing, tantalizing description of a project that "explore(s) ways in which a collection can be out of sight and yet a visible and occasionally surprisingly tangible presence in the city." So keep your eyes open; you may find yourself gliding past a masterpiece on your routine bicycle ride to market.

The spring thaw sees new work blossoming as the Stedelijk heads west:
Amsterdam's western neighborhoods, that is. "In West" features a cadre of international artists interacting with the communities of Slotervaart, Bos en Lommer, and others to create new projects that embody the notion of "site specific." Look for exciting things to begin mid-April and last through August.

Lectures, Projects, and Special Events

One can almost hear the Stedelijk's head of PR intone the diction of a late-night infomercial voiceover: "But wait, there's more! You get our collection on display in local museums, you get our cool and quirky presence on the streets of Amsterdam … and how about we throw in a series of lectures by important critics and scholars?!"

Too good to be true? Hardly.

A collaboration among the Stedelijk, the University of Amsterdam and others, the lecture series "Now is the Time: Art & Theory in the 21st Century" brings several noted critics and theorists to Amsterdam to speak to art's ever-evolving condition in today's tumultuous world.
Discussion and lecture topics included are the effects Globalization, Media, and 9/11 on today's artistic practice.

Excepting any unforeseen, Noord/Zuidlijn-style snafu, the newly renovated Stedelijk will open in 2009. (Even the museum's promotional materials are non-committal, indicating that a 2009 re-opening is
"anticipated".) But however long it takes, the city will not be forced to go without its symbolic home for modern and contemporary art.
There'll be plenty of ways - indoors and out - for Amsterdammer's and their guests to get their Stedelijk fix.

Construction to the Stedelijk

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