AMERSFOORT.- Sleep, so familiar yet strange at the same time. Like eating and drinking, it is a necessary part of life. A daily recurring phenomenon which takes up a third of your life. During sleep, the brain is being cleansed, causing connections between the brain cells to change. While at the same time strengthening some connections so you remember things. Sleep also reduces stress and emotions. Within science a lot has been discovered about our sleeping habits, yet great mysteries about sleep still remain. Many people within the arts are drawn to this fascinating theme. From 24 August, the family exhibition Sleep! takes you on a small exploration into the vast domain of sleep and dreams, through the eyes of about 50 visual artists and designers. They will let you experience the essential importance and privilege of rest.

Wake, sleep, dream, repeat

Within the exhibition, you walk through the four sleep stages; from slumber to light sleep, then on to deep sleep. (Sleep)walk through the dream phase to a large space where the bed stands central. Some fairy-like, others harrowing sleeping places in paintings and sculptures. Mona Hatoum shows the bed shaped like a grater, Hans van Bentem created a heavenly bed and Teun Hocks portrayed himself sleeping in moving boxes. Not everyone has an ideal sleep cycle; stress and anxiety can often lead to disorders such as insomnia and nightmares. Explore this dark side of sleep in the Sleep/Wake space. Meet the poignant work 'Moe' by Aalt van de Glind, which deals with his girlfriend's chronic fatigue. Start, if you wish, a new tour through the exhibition and undergo a second or third sleep cycle, until you hopefully leave the exhibition completely rested!

Slumber / light sleep / deep sleep / dream

In slumber, there is the mysterious blue hour, the transition between day and night (and vice versa) depicted by Yasmijn Karhof and Merel Karhof in their work 'The Blue Hour'. Sarah Mei Herman captures the special state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep (hypnagogia) in her photo’s. The feeling of light sleep is very sensitively expressed in the face made of glass by Leiko Ikemura. The feeling of falling into a deep sleep is shown in Carlijn Jacobs' video 'Sleeping Beauty'. In deep REM sleep, your brain is resting, and creative connections are forged. Mladen Stilinović made this self-portrait series of a sleeping artist in 1978. The work is aptly named: 'Artist at Work'.

On your way into dreamland, you stumble upon Harm van den Berg's work 'Threshold of Complexity'. The deep black background functions as the representation of the sleeping state, while the white drawn networks evoke associations with the unconscious brain processes during different sleep stages.

With works by: Philip Aguirre Y Otegui (BE) / Anas Albraehe (SY) / Barbora Adamonytė-Keidūnė (LT) / Stéphane Argillet and Gilles Paté (FR) / Carolien Arnold (NL) / Hans van Bentem (NL) / Stijn Ter Braak (NL) / Paul Bogaers (NL) / Harm van den Berg (NL) / Sophie Conroy (UK) / Bekhbaatar Enkhtur (MN) / Martin Fenne (NL) / Giovanni Battista Franco (IT) / Louis Fratino (US) / Lenz Geerk (CH) / Jacques de Gheyn (III) (NL) / Aalt van de Glind (NL) / Daniel Godínez Nivón (MX) / Francisco José de Goya (ES) / Frank Halmans (NL) / Geoffrey Holder (TT / US) / Mona Hatoum (LB) / Sarah Mei Herman (NL) / Teun Hocks (NL) / Li Hui (CN) / Leiko Ikemura (JP) / Saodat Ismailova (UZ) / Carlijn Jacobs (NL) / Pieter Jennes (BE) / Yasmijn Karhof & Merel Karhof (NL) / Carla Kogelman (NL) / Koen Ebeling Koning (NL) / Frank Koolen (NL) / Friedrich Kunath (DE) / Gerard de Lairesse (BE) / Gabriel Lester (NL) / Alexandra Leykauf (DE) / Domenico Marchetti (IT) / Tony Matelli (US) / Frans Xaver Messerschmidt (DE) / Hendrik Moolenyzer (NL) / Bernard Picart (FR) / Paul de Reus (NL) / Julika Rudelius (DE) / Tobias Schalken (NL) / Hinke Schreuders (NL) / Sondi (CM | DE) / Ted Spagna (US) / Mladen Stilinović (SV) / Daniel Willem Stoopendaal (NL) / Maurice van Tellingen (NL) / Troika (UK) / Gavin Turk (UK) / Kaari Upson (US) / Utsav Verma (IN) / Marcel van der Vlugt (NL) / Andy Warhol (US) / Willem Weismann (NL) / Lothar Wolleh (DE)

Additional location: Mannenzaal

During the Sleep! exhibition, you can visit the monumental Mannenzaal of St. Pieters and Bloklands guest House on specific days in September and October. Built in 1531, this men's dormitory with accompanying chapel still has 22 original bedsteads, giving visitors a unique insight into how the guests lived here. Several works of art can be experienced in the Mannenzaal.

In the chapel, you can hug the giant ragdoll made by artist Frank Koolen. Clearly, the doll is no longer new. It seems to have been held and cuddled endlessly until its owner fell asleep. Furthermore, a repetitive humming chant attracts attention, sucking you into filmmaker Julika Rudelius' enigmatic 'Adrift'. Or meet 'Voulez-Vous Coucher', the interactive installation by theatre-maker Carolien Arnold. There is also an extensive public program.

At various times (28 September, 5, 12 and 19 October), the performance Voulez-Vous Coucher - created especially for the exhibition - will be performed. Developed by theatre-maker Carolien Arnold and the MAAT Saxophone Quartet, commissioned by September Me and Kunsthal KAdE.