Formal · Events in Amsterdam

Symposium Synesthesie

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 12:00

Het Orgelpark

Conference

Symposium Synesthesie at Orgelpark in Amsterdam threads synesthetic thinking through sound, organ acoustics and cross-disciplinary talks in a venue famed for intimate, resonant halls.

Sakura: The Flowering of Cherry Blossoms

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

Sakura: The Flowering of Cherry Blossoms at Spui25 in Amsterdam traces the blossom's history—from Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram to Japan's iconic spring—through Naoko Abe's engaging history lecture.

Rusland. Een strijd tegen moderniteit

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

Renowned Russian historian Alexander Etkind discusses his book Russia. Een strijd tegen moderniteit, analyzing the regime and the drivers of war, in conversation with Peter van Dam, moderated by Simone Peek, at Spui25 in Amsterdam.

​​On Failure: Error and Defeat in the Arts of the Dutch Republic​

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

This scholarly lecture at Spui25 rethinks failure and defeat in the arts of the Dutch Republic, questioning the 'golden age' narrative and Amsterdam Museum's 2019 shift. It explores risk, bankruptcy, crises, and disaster as shaping forces in early modern art history.

Young Men, Masculinity, and Democracy: Challenges and Pathways Forward

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

A multidisciplinary roundtable at Spui25 in Amsterdam exploring how masculinity, gender equality, and democratic engagement shape young men's political attitudes across Europe. The session brings together researchers, practitioners, and an artistic intervention to examine pathways toward a more caring democracy.

The Languages of Opera: No Problem?

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Lecture

Scholarly discussion at the University of Amsterdam on how opera communicates across languages and whether music can be a universal language, and what that implies for accessibility.

​​Shaping Real Lives into Narratives: Heather Clark on Truth and Fiction​

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

Shaping Real Lives into Narratives: Heather Clark on Truth and Fiction at Spui25 in Amsterdam probes how biography balances fact and imagination, and what writers must navigate when weaving history and story.

The New Women of the Right: How the Far Right Has Waged the Gender War in France

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

The New Women of the Right: How the Far Right Has Waged the Gender War in France takes the Voltaire lecture at Spui25 in Amsterdam as a lens to examine how female leaders, media strategies, and gender politics reshape European politics.

The ‘Elite’ as Delicate Beast

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

A thought-provoking lecture at Spui25 in Amsterdam, examining how the term 'elite' is deployed in debates about justice, democracy, and inequality. It traces distinctions among intellectual, colonial, nouveau riche and postcolonial elites and challenges the idea of a single 'elit

‘Beyond Sanctuary’ with Ananya Roy and Veronika Zablotsky

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 19:00

Spui25

Lecture

Scholars Ananya Roy and Veronika Zablotsky discuss migration, abolitionist and decolonial imaginaries, and their book in a dialogue at Spui25 in Amsterdam.

Solidariteit, een kleine filosofie

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

René ten Bos explores how solidarity evolves from a revolutionary idea to a familiar moral cliché, blending philosophy, literature, and imagination. At Spui25 in Amsterdam, the talk questions where true solidarity lies—beyond rules and policy—within our shared vulnerability.

Een avond met Gisèle Pelicot

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

Join Gisèle Pelicot for an intimate evening at Spui25 in Amsterdam as she shares insights from her book Ode aan het leven and argues for shifting how shame is handled in everyday life. Expect a thoughtful, empowering lecture that blends personal experience with universal themes of resilience. An engaging event for adults seeking meaningful reflection.

De limes als legende

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

A thought-provoking lecture reimagining the limes as the legendary North European frontier—how Danube and Rhine mapped power, fame, and freedom across the early modern landscape, told with vivid case studies.

Smooth Amsterdam

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

An insightful lecture at Spui25 exploring how modern city life is curated into a consumable aesthetic. Through René Boer's ideas, the talk examines how Amsterdam's neighborhoods, cafés and vintage stores shape identities in the age of digital culture.

Wonen, wonen, wonen

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

A lecture examining the Dutch housing crisis: why social housing has shrunk, how youth access to homes has changed, and the tensions between housing associations and tenants.

Autisme. Een biografie

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

In Spui25 Amsterdam, author and literary scholar Niels Springveld discusses Autism. Een biografie, tracing autism’s history and its evolving portrayal in culture, in a live conversation about diagnosis, identity and storytelling.

Sudan in Context: Islamic Modernity & Sufism

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

Join a scholarly dialogue on Mahmud Muhammad Taha, the Sudanese thinker who linked Sufism to Islamic reform. Scholars explore his Second Message of Islam and its relevance to contemporary Sudan, with a panel and a keynote discussion at Spui25 in Amsterdam.

A Slippery Slope: ICE and the normalization of harm

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

A compelling lecture at Spui25 in Amsterdam examining how ICE raids and anti-immigrant narratives normalize harm. The talk traces historical roots, analyzes policy implications, and invites reflection on resistance and more humane approaches to migration.

Synthetic Genders: How Generative AI Reimagines Gender in Visual Culture

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Lecture

Three talks at the University of Amsterdam explore how Generative AI reshapes gender in visual culture, examining gendered art-historical styles, AI analyses of gender in visual art and film.

Activisme en solidariteit in de queergemeenschap in de jaren zeventig en tachtig

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

A compelling lecture tracing 1970s–80s queer activism in the Netherlands, from COC to feminist collectives and unions, born amid exclusion and HIV/AIDS, and built on fierce solidarity—at Spui25 in Amsterdam.

Feestelijke aftrap van de Boekenweek 2026

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

Kick off Boekenweek 2026 with a festive live edition of the Literaire Letterenshow podcast, featuring guests including Dean Bowen and Babs Schutte, plus tributes to favorite books.

Tussen markt en volk: gemeenschappen en zingeving in een neoliberale wereld

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

A thought-provoking lecture at Spui25 examines how populist revolts are reshaping a new world order in neoliberal times. It investigates where social unease comes from and what the 'new' order may mean for communities and meaning.

Cloud Capitalism​

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Lecture

Devika Narayan discusses the political economy of cloud computing and leads a debate on how tech platforms shape contemporary capitalism.

Het ontstaan van taal

Wed, 27 May 2026 at 22:00

Spui25

Lecture

Evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman presents a radical theory that human language arose from shared childcare rather than hunting or tool-making.

Showing 24 of 217 events