citylikeyou — Marineterrein Amsterdam — Amsterdam by Femke van Gemert

Amsterdam / Park / Canal / Swimming Pool

It is in the city centre. This former navy area is now partly open for the public. In summer you can swim in the canal there and have a great view on old Amsterdam, the Scheepvaartmuseum and the dead heart centre of Amsterdam. I like it most in winter, silent, grey, a place to mesmorize, walk alone around, meet a local who is walking his dog, than and have a coffee in pension Homeland, the restaurant hotel there. In central Amsterdam the space is rare, and what is there is overrun with tourists and full of local traffic, the trams, a million bikes, cars and pedestrians. That is why I like this place so much, super quiet space in the centre of Amsterdam.

Website
marineterrein.nl

Address
Marineterrein Amsterdam, 5 Kattenburgerstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Artist

Current city: Amsterdam

femkevangemert.nl

Waste Textiles Artist. Femke van Gemert, 1969 After a career in commercial fashion Femke decided to change the way to create things. Now she designs wall hangings and rugs that are unique, handmade and fully sustainable. By focussing on a single colour she re-uses textiles in abstract works. The beauty of imperfection and deterioration over time are always visible in her creations. The composition she creates radiates a certain mood or longing laden with fragments of the former characteristics of the used textile pieces. In the creation process Femke thinks about certain societal or environmental issues, these are reflected in the titles. In commissioned work clients can donate their own discarded textiles. This improves the personal involvement the owner has with the piece of art. This way Femke wants to revaluate textile waste that is omnipresent in our fast consuming society. The wall hangings improve acoustics and are suitable for homes, offices and public buildings. The love for textiles combined with the urge to explore the possibilities of discarded fabrics form a long lasting source of inspiration and a way to express opinions in Femke van Gemert’s life.

More Places in Amsterdam 100

Amsterdam / Place

My studio is situated on top of a Fifties concrete modernist apartment building in the Rivierenbuurt in the south of Amsterdam. The best thing is that my building is just one floor higher then the rest of the houses in the neighborhood so I get a good view of the city and the ever changing Dutch skies. What makes my view really special is the view from the balcony on an inaccessible inner garden. The garden is made on the roof of a parking garage of an office building and nobody can go there since there are no stairs or entrance. Once a year the gardeners come with a tall ladder. They are the only ones that enter the garden ever. The nice thing is that still there is a winding path in the middle of the garden for only your eye to trace it.

Amsterdam / Cafe

Banging my head against the ceiling on the first floor doesn’t stop me from drinking a coffee in café Latei at Nieuwmarkt. I love it here, especially on rainy days, which is most days in the Netherlands. This small cosy café filled with a thousand colours warms me up.

Amsterdam / Bar

Hannekes Boom is one of the nicest waterfront café in Amsterdam to have a beer when it's sunny. Close to Central Station, the place isn't crowded by tourists, but you need to be there early to get a seat.

Amsterdam / Shop

One of the few professional hardware stores in the city centre of Amsterdam with a great knowledgable staff. Whatever you’re building problem, they have the answer for you, both in advice and in material solutions. I just really love hanging out there. For me it’s one of the best places to get inspiration from. When building a set, I usually go there with a vague idea of what I want to make and then fill in the details by looking at the materials they have.

Amsterdam / Market

The city's biggest flea market is hosted the first weekend of each month in and around a gigantic warehouse in the industrial area of NDSM in Amsterdam Noord. I love to snuff around the hundreds of stalls to find unusual props. Taking the boat to cross the IJ and leaving the old centre behind is very refreshing. Make sure to also have a drink in Noorderlicht while the sun sets.