Amsterdam Journal & Exhibits

May 28, 2017
2 min read

Hi there!

Last summer my family and I went to Amsterdam before heading to Metz, France (my mom's hometown). We had never been to Amsterdam but I was so excited to get to experience a new culture. The most challenging part was not knowing the language. I am trilingual and speak French, Spanish and English so usually when I travel I am able to communicate but Amsterdam was completely different and I loved it. I felt like a real tourist! The weather was beautiful during our stay, which allowed us to walk everywhere. We ate delicious food and went to amazing museums such as the MOCO, the Anne Frank house and the Van Gogh Museum.

The red door of our apartment rental! We rented an apartment through flip key expecting to have it all to ourselves... but we shared it with three Spanish guys. Moral of the story: read the entire description before renting!!

Lucius... the most delicious seafood restaurant I've ever tried! Not only was the seafood so fresh but the service was excellent

We went to the MOCO (modern contemporary museum) & saw some of Banksy's work like the girl with the red balloon

I got a little taste of Amsterdam again last week. We went to the DMA to see the Iris Van Herpen exhibit and it was sensational! Iris is a designer from Amsterdam. She is known for her futuristic designs and her imaginative use of technology. The exhibit is very well curated, like a runway. When you first walk in you see Iris' oxidized gown called Refinery Smoke and it's a great indicator of Iris' style. Every three or four designs were part of a line where she tackles a social issue or phenomenon. But the most amazing part of the exhibit is these three little tablets in the back that play a video of Iris explaining her past, her designs and her collaborations. If you go make sure you take a moment to watch the video. Before seeing the video, I didn't know who Iris was or what she looked like and as you see her designs you imagine a very theatrical person but she is completely the opposite. A self-proclaimed introvert, she maintains her atelier in Amsterdam and devotes herself fully to the work.

This photo shows the runway like display. I loved how close you could get to the designs!

This is one of Iris' favorite designs. She explains in the video that she worked on this piece for many years & that originally the 3D printing company she was working with did not think a transparent print was possible!

I hope you enjoyed this post & I can't wait to take you along with me this summer as I travel to Estonia, Helsinki, Warsaw & France. Don't forget to click subscribe to be kept up to date!