On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, the Laurenskerk will also throw its doors wide open during Open Monuments Day Rotterdam (OMDR). This year with a first on Saturday! Rajiv Bhagwanbali, artistic director of Rotterdam Street Culture Week (RSCW), presents three unique performances. Together with talented street culture artists, he breathes new life into historical stories from the Laurenskerk. The setting invites stillness and reflection, but also playfulness and co-creation, matching the atmosphere of the Laurenskerk and the energy of RSCW. Expect a powerful mix of music, movement, art and storytelling.

Program Laurenskerk x Open Monumentendag Rotterdam x RSCW

Performances are at 11.00 am, 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm. Continuous live painting.

– An interactive musical performance with Ivan Words and Dr. Slow SweatThe audience is not only a spectator, but also a co-creator of this musical experience. By means of live sampling, loop station technology, spoken word and an in-depth conversation, themes such as sacredness, connection and resilience are explored and translated live into a soundscape with rhythms, sounds and voices.
In collaboration with Spraakuhloos and Boom snap clap

– A musical and physical performance between monument, organ and grand pianoWorlds are brought together that are seemingly far apart: a classical organ with Matthijs van der Wilt and on grand piano Farid Sheek grand piano is interwoven with a physical performance by freestyle BMX artist Dez Maarsen. The performance takes place on the floor of the Laurenskerk, right between the statue of Witte de With and the organ that Germany once donated as a gesture of reconciliation. This choice of location is no coincidence: the piece aims to make the tensions, fault lines and connections in our (colonial) history tangible — in particular the tension between pride and shame, admiration and criticism, past and present.

– Live calligraffiti performance with mirror installationOld and new writing cultures are brought together in one powerful visual statement. Two letter artists Ouwebmxman & Speckr – each rooted in a different tradition – create a hybrid calligraphic artwork live on a large mirror wall, in the middle of the Laurenskerk. On either side, they work from their own style and language: one inspired by the historicized initials from medieval biblical texts, the other by the contemporary expression of graffiti and calligraffiti.

In collaboration with Street art festival ALL CAPS