April 3, 2013

Promo video for Rijksmuseum shows 17th century chase

Filed under: Art by Branko Collin @ 2:57 pm

The Rijksmuseum (or Rijks Museum) in Amsterdam, home to many a Dutch master, has been partially closed to the public for renovations ever since 2003 and will be reopened on 13 April by Queen Beatrix in the last month of her reign.

Sponsor ING made this video in a shopping centre in Breda of a 17th century shop lifter being chased by the city watch. The tableau vivant at the end depicts Rembrandt van Rijn’s ‘Night Watch’, the most prominent work in the Rijksmuseum’s collection. (Rijksmusem means ‘state museum’—there are several Rijksmuseums in the Netherlands, but if there is no city name attached people assume it is the one in Amsterdam).

Yes, it’s that same ING, the Dutch bank too big to fail. Its managers are now complaining that their salaries are too low. But at least they get to play patron of the arts with my tax money. These are the same arts the government no longer had money for after they loaned 10 billion euro to ING. Welcome to neo-liberal Upsidedownia.

(Video: ING/YouTube. Image: crop from the video)

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July 19, 2011

Bargain fashion tricks its way onto the catwalk

Filed under: Fashion,Weird by Orangemaster @ 2:56 pm

(video in Dutch) at 3:00, the audience finds out they’ve been fooled. Imagine this was Walmart or some other cheap brand.

Bargain clothing and household linnen brand Zeeman pulled a guerilla move that has the whole Dutch fashion world buzzing. At the recent Amsterdam International Fashion Week, they posed as a ‘serious’ fashion brand, Frank (my guess a play on words for ‘frank’ or ‘straight up’), and made it onto the catwalk.

The whole point was to show that fashion does not have to be expensive. However, I can tell you that although this is a valid point, Zeeman clothing often falls apart after a few washes. I have no qualms about their towels, and their stores are ghastly. But yes, they are cheap, although they had bucks for this one prank.

And the fashionistas blogs are pissed because they were fooled. Be sure to look at their faces in the video.

Apparently, while the work of independent designers is judged beforehand, no demands are made of companies which cough up the full fee of 15,000 euro for a show with lighting and make-up thrown in. “We’re just pleased to get the money,” [event director] Mr Maussen admits. “But maybe we should be a bit stricter in future.”

Money talks and cheapness walks.

(Link: rnw.nl)

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