This autobiographical video work takes you to an island. A driver and passenger are revisiting an experience that affected them both deeply. Now, as then, it is night; and the stars in the clear endless sky are right where they were back then.
Trailer:
The Ride (singlescreen 12:14 min) premiered at De Oude Kerk Amsterdam in January and February 2019. The video was installed in the St. Sebastiaanskapel, accessible through the main entrance of the Oude Kerk. In the Librije, before entering the Sebastiaanskapel, visitors could read the following text:
The Ride
It came to me one day that I needed to return to the island. That I had to retrace the route he took that night, this time with me as his passenger. That we might stop at the spot, as if it were a portal.
And thus it was decided.
I would return, get in the car, and retrace the route, nothing more. The researcher said: “What should I do if I can’t find him, or if he won’t do it, or can’t?”
I replied: “Then find someone for whom it is equally difficult. Someone who was closely involved, or who had a similar experience while driving. Someone who could have been him. I don’t want to know about him.”
I asked the sound engineer to make it possible for the driver and me to hear each other’s heartbeat as we drove. That way we could listen to each other, even if we didn’t feel like talking.
Press (In English)
Amsterdam Art
Q&A at IDFA 2019
See NL
Business Doc Europe
• Please follow this link for the Visions du Reél Artist Introduction “Carte Blanche”
• Please follow this link for video documentation of the presentation in Oude Kerk
Press (In Dutch)
Joyce Roodnat – NRC
Nooit Meer Slapen – Radio interview NPO
Hanna Hagenaars – How to Live
Kunst is Lang – Radio interview
Screenings and presentations:
April 2020 International premiere at Visions du Reél, Nyon, Switzerland as part of International Medium Length & Short Film Competition
November 2019 Dutch premiere at IDFA 2019 Amsterdam, Netherlands at part of the Paradocs program.
March 3 2020 The Ride in Eye film Amsterdam, as part of New Selected Artist’s Moving Image.
Installation Oude Kerk
The film shown as an installation in January and February of 2019 in The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
![The RIde Screening of The Ride in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam](https://www.polakvanbekkum.com/assets/uploads/2018/10/Oude-Kerk-PolakVanBekkum-De-Rit-03.jpg)
Two sketches of the installation (pastel on paper):
![TheRideSketch3 The Ride.<br />
Pastel sketch nr 3 of the video art installation at Oude Kerk Amsterdam](https://www.polakvanbekkum.com/assets/uploads/2023/02/TheRideSketch3.jpg)
![TheRideSketch4 The Ride.<br />
Pastel sketch nr 4 of the video art installation at Oude Kerk Amsterdam](https://www.polakvanbekkum.com/assets/uploads/2023/02/TheRideSketch4.jpg)
Credits
research: Monique Lesterhuis
concept supervision: Rabiaâ Benlahbib
sound: Arno Peeters
color grading: Laurent Fluttert
subtitles: Siji Jabbar
This film was realised with support of:
• AFK (Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst)
• Mondriaan Fund
• The Creative Industries Fund NL, the Dutch cultural fund for architecture, design and digital culture (Stimuleringsfonds / Digitale Cultuur /Onderzoek)
• Art Institute Oude Kerk/ curator J. Grandjean
Special thanks to: Hille van Dieren and Wim Zeeders
Oude Kerk team: Jacqueline Grandjean, Rieke Righolt, Richard Pelgrim, Zara Weijers, Laurence Ostin, Arjan van Asselt, Emma van Oudheusden.
Advice and moral support by: Mieke Bernink, Marietta de Bruine, Sinan Can, Peter Delpeut, Nicole Dudok, Bernet Elzinga, Quincy Gario, Jeditja de Groot, Krist Gruijthuijsen, Maureen Ho, Renske de Jong, Marlies Mannesse, Pe Oxc, Marianne Plas, Leendert Pot, Margriet Schavemaker, Rein Jelle Terpstra, Marc Thelosen and Ingrid van Tol.
Video documentation of the presentation in Oude Kerk