The Garden Which Is the Nearest to God

by Taturo Atzu
by Atzu, Taturo

A garden has risen above Amsterdam's Red Light District. Commissioned by the Oude Kerk, the Japanese artist Taturo Atzu realised a sensational transformation by constructing a temporary platform on the roof of the church.

For ten weeks, ‘The Garden Which is the Nearest to God’ transformed the roof of the Oude Kerk into an exhilarating attraction: its unorthodox function offered us new sights and insights. The super-construction offered visitors a unique vista of the red light district while simultaneously giving access to an architectural domain normally hidden from public view. The ‘garden’ questioned the contemporary significance of the monument and laid bare tensions between public and private space. Atzu's installation not only referred to the classical idea of a church as meeting place, this project also embodied the gradual shift from religious to cultural space. On the platform, one could visit an Amsterdam-style living room, between public and private.

Period 21st century
Materials Wood, steel
neighbourhood environment spirituality ascending inhabiting, citizenship philosophising localising (periphery/center) discovering unsettling feeling at home transforming ascending inhabiting, citizenship philosophising localising (periphery/center) discovering unsettling feeling at home transforming

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Fragments of a process

Artist interview Construction Floor Samples Flyer Handout Invitation Review - Architectural Digest Review - De Volkskrant Review - Het Parool I Review - Het Parool II Review - Smaakmatrix Het Parool Sketch I Sketch II Sketch III Sketch IV Sketch V Twitter Comment

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Oude kerk Adlib Collect priref 2124


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