About town with... Ernst Veen
Ernst Veen took charge of De Nieuwe Kerk back in 1981 and was also director of the Hermitage Amsterdam since 2004. In March 2011, he announced that he will retire from the roles at the end of the year. However, Veen plans to remain actively involved with the institutions as a management advisor.
Culture in Amsterdam
No other city in the world comes close to rivalling Amsterdam in terms of the range of culture on offer. The city is traditionally home to a huge cross-section of nationalities and the different cultures are an endless source of inspiration.
Amsterdam, count your blessings! Just take a quick look around you, the city is full of astonishing beauty everywhere you look.
Music
I try to get to all the master pianist concerts in the Concertgebouw. It's a great series of concerts, Marco Riaskoff has organised them since 1987. I'm also very fond of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, a fantastic string ensemble. And I'm looking forward to the Cello Biënnale, held at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ every two years. It's back again this autumn. The Biënnale is a week full of events, starting with workshops and other activities throughout the day and concerts in the evening.
Dance
We can certainly be proud of our ballet culture. The Dutch National Ballet is great, but I've got a soft spot for the Nederlands Dans Theater which I think is sometimes more refreshing and dynamic.
Film
I lead a hectic life and am a slave to my diary. So sometimes, a spontaneous trip to the cinema is just the ticket. Recently I went to see Les Regrets with my wife, Beatrijs.
Restaurant
I'll have to go with Neva. That's the restaurant in the Hermitage, run by the capable hands of louder-than-life head chef Ricardo van Ede. He gets his inspiration from the exhibitions running at the museum. The restaurant has character and a great atmosphere. And every day except for Sunday, it stays open until one in the morning. So you can grab a bite to eat there after a visit to the Carré or the Muziektheater, which are both close by.
Café
On Saturdays I can often be found enjoying a coffee or a beer at Zwart in Spuistraat. And I used to frequent De Pieper on Prinsengracht with John Vrieze and Leen Akkers. John was in charge at the Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen and I worked closely with him at De Nieuwe Kerk. Unfortunately both John and Leen were taken from us far too early; John passed away last year.
Amsterdam for kids
My son Jochem no longer plays in the sand pit at the Vondelpark like he used to. He'll become a father himself In June. We're looking forward to welcoming our first grandchild into the world and to all the adventures we'll have with him or her.
Fine art
Once renovations are completed on the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum) and the Filmmuseum, they will join the Conservatorium, the Amsterdam Public Library (OBA) and the Hermitage in a renaissance of Amsterdam's cultural scene. I like to visit galleries on Saturdays. Michael Hennis’ Wetering Gallery for example, which is home to a collection of work by Polish artist Tomasz Ciecierski. I have a modest collection at home, including works by artists including Marjolein van den Assem, Pieter Stoop and Threes Visser.
Amsterdam and St Petersburg
The link between the two cities goes back centuries. Saint Petersburg is modelled on Amsterdam architecturally. I first visited the Hermitage in 1991 in preparation for an exhibition entitled Goud der Scythen (Scythian Gold) at De Nieuwe Kerk.
I became close friends with Michael Pietrovski, who is still the director of the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. My friendship with Michael led to our dream of opening a museum on the Amstel. And that dream became a reality last year.
My motto
Not "save Amsterdam" but "have faith in Amsterdam!"
Interview by Anne-Rose Bantzinger
Translation by David Nice
First published in the Uitkrant, March 2010
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