The building bears silent witness to all the people who walked these cold corridors. Now that the nervous footsteps have gone, the empty building offers room for reflection, contemplation and, in some cases, closure. Astrid Hermes tells fragments of her own story as well as those of fellow sufferers. They are united in tension, grief, understanding and recognition. In every photo shown in one of the courtrooms, the scars are visible.
A courthouse with a story
The Lingering has a twofold ambition: the exhibition offers reflection on the past but also builds a bridge to the future. The partly listed former courthouse on the Parnassusweg is being redeveloped into a museum of contemporary art. In the meantime, various spaces there are being used by entrepreneurs in the arts sector as temporary workplaces. To mark this important transition, the photographer has highlighted the architectural function of the building in her project.
The concrete structure that runs throughout the building is characteristic of the work of architect Ben Loerakker (1931 to 2021). He saw himself as a structuralist. The building is one of the rare examples of Brutalism in the Netherlands. As a court of law, only a small part was accessible. Visitors to the exhibition now get a look behind the scenes. The photos are shown in the former courtroom, a room where the most high-profile cases, such as the Heineken trial, took place in the past.
The pop-up exhibition opens in the courtroom of the former courthouse and can be seen from 7 October 2022 to 9 October 2022. From 6 pm you are warmly welcome to celebrate this opening with us. During the festive opening an artist talk will be held.
