Fantasio and Kosmos

LocusSolus – Fantasio and Kosmos

''A new era is dawning. Do not miss it.” With these words, uttered in 1968, the youth magazine Hitweek announced a sensational phase in the history of the Prins Hendrikkade 142. Foundation Anker Clubhuiswerk (who ran a youth center here) and the Provadya? Group (a creative group headed by among others Willem de Ridder), founded pop temple Fantasio, a day before Paradiso opened.

Fantasio was a very popular destination for young people from the Netherlands. They heard the latest music, danced, enjoyed the 'lichtsjoo' and hallucinogenic drugs. A visit was a total experience – stepping out of civil society - in which all senses were stimulated. After eighteen months it appeared that the organisation could not handle the masses of young people. Fantasio closed in September 1969.

Soon, the building was given a new function. On December 1, 1969 meditation center Kosmos opened its doors. From concerts to meditation sessions, vegan food and hatha yoga, to a visit to the sauna; the whole range was dominated by spiritual awakening. Kosmos became the most important spiritual New Age center in the Netherlands, until its bankruptcy in 1992.

During Museum Night 2014 several prominent persons in the history of Fantasio and Kosmos came together in the library of de Appel arts centre to share stories about this eventful period in Amsterdam.

In this presentation you will find traces of these stories by:
Wink Abbink: drummer of the "psychedelic / spacerock" houseband of Fantasio; Ahora Mazda,
 Willem de Ridder: known storyteller and one of the founders of Fantasio,
 Reinout Spaink: employee of the Kosmos Library,
 Paul de Leenheer: programmer of Kosmos, and Babeth van Loo: filmmaker and Kosmos Visitor

LocusSolus is a space for staging de Appel arts centre’s living past and lively present. Unravelling and dynamic, in black and white or full-colour HD, LocusSolus shows the fundaments of de Appel arts centre, her surroundings, the now and everything thereafter, to deepen and intensify her future.
LocusSolus is located in the souterrain (Expo S) of de Appel arts centre and open during opening hours of the exhibitions.

LocusSolus – Collection Mark Kremer

Books, ephemera and sources from the collection of Mark Kremer; curator of When Elephants Come Marching In, from Robert Crumb, gerlach en koop, Sture Johanesson, Joseph Kosuth, Boyle Family, Ian Wilson, Andy Warhol, Taf Hassam, Melanie Bonajo, and Chiara Fumai.

LocusSolus shows the gems from the collection of de Appel arts centre. Long-lost books, documents or new items that proudly represent her history and lively present, for the lonesome reader and keen viewers.
LocusSolus is located next to the entrance of the library on the 2nd floor of de Appel arts centre.