The city and the water

Exhibition all about water in the city. From drinking water, canal water, boating water, swimming water to water for living. From happy water to dangerous water. And different artists show how they see water as the subject of their artwork.

Water is useful, vital even, but in our low-lying country sometimes dangerous and life-threatening. Museum Flehite shows people's relationship with water in the past, present and future. A mix of old and new art, photographs and maps bring the water stories of Amersfoort to life. Young and old take a dive and discover the conflicting roles the element plays in everyone's lives.

Water as a source of inspiration

Artists of the past and present reflect in their work on the connection between man and water. The scale models of pipe work by Frank Halmans, for example, make you realize how special it is that water comes out of the tap. In the Dreamscapes, by Rob Sweere, you wonder whether the tranquil landscapes refer to the past, present or future. And in 'To water is to Be' by Nanno Simonis, water is captured in a transparent cube in which it radiates, drips, flows and flows, taking on all sorts of contrasting appearances.

Also on view is contemporary work by Willem de Haan, Claudy Jongstra, Saskia Boelsums, Peter Bes, Udo Prinsen, Everdien Breken, Anna Khodorovich, Jinxiao Zhou, Juane Xue, Jolanda Meulendijks, Noortje Haegens, Ans Bakker, John Konijn, De Spullenmannen and Cees Wouda, Rufus de Vries and Gerhard Oude Vrielink.

Playful learning with the Spullenmen's Water Wheel and Water Bingo

• Outside by the moat, children and adults playfully influence the course of water with the 4-meter-high Water Wheel by artist duo The Spullenmen.
• In the exhibition, children play "Water Bingo" with their parents or grandparents, discovering different aspects of water.
• At Depot Junior, visitors of all ages can do their own visual work by building a city on the water with waste materials (during the vacations from 1:30-4:30 p.m., if space is available), drawing with water words or making a wave collage.

Schools can link a visit to the exhibition with the teaching materials of Centrum voor Natuur en Milieu Educatie, Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe and Vitens. FASadE, NEOS, AIR Rotterdam and Podium Architectuur joined forces for the Education Project Learning in the Metropl(ol)der. Through this project, young people are made aware of the opportunities on and near the water and are given an active role in shaping their own spatial future on the basis of Design Thinking.

All of Amersfoort under the sign of Water

In the summer of 2024, all of Amersfoort will be dedicated to water. Museum Flehite and partners from the cultural and water sectors will organize a program of activities. Think of expert-meetings, educational and creative workshops with Vitens, Theme cruises of the Waterline, a visit to the Volmolen, a water exhibition in the Joriskerk, bicycle and boat trip with the Eemlijn, a beer tasting at the city brewery de Drie Ringen, a city walk with the Guild.