AMSTERDAM.- The celebrated Japanese artist Taturo Atzu (formerly known as Tatzu Nishi) is renowned for his spectacular and often alienating projects. After New York and Singapore, it's Amsterdam's turn this summer. From 27 June to 6 September, commissioned by the Oude Kerk, Atzu realised a sensational transformation by constructing a temporary platform on the roof of the Oude Kerk. He offers visitors a unique vista of the red light district while simultaneously giving access to an architectural domain normally hidden from public view. For ten weeks The Garden Which is the Nearest to God – a summery panorama terrace – transforms the roof of the Oude Kerk into an exhilarating attraction; its unorthodox function offering us new sights and insights.

Scaffolding construction
Taturo Atzu’s temporary platform is accessible via a scaffolding construction outside of the church. The ascent alone is an unforgettable adventure in and of itself. Once on the platform, you arrive to a unique panoramic view of the intricate network of Amsterdam's old city centre streets only to then be confronted by second surprise of the impressive slate roofscape; a close-up view never before possible. With its two enormous spires, the roof of the Oude Kerk has one of the largest surface areas in Europe. The slate tiles and lead elements are still fitted using traditional techniques. Once the platform closes to the public, the scaffolding will remain a little longer at hand for carrying out maintenance work.

Huyskamer van Amsterdam' (Amsterdam's living room)
The Garden Which is the Nearest to God not only refers to the classical idea of a church as meeting place; this project also embodies the gradual shift from religious to cultural space. In fact, the traditional nickname for the Oude Kerk is 'Amsterdam's living room'. This honorary title doubtless formed a source of inspiration for Atzu. After an exhilarating ascent, visitors go up to an airy living room to stand eye-to-eye with a weathervane in the form of an angel. A little further, nearby the turret, they can sit in the built-in seating area surrounding the church bell. It is an experience which questions the contemporary significance of the monument and lays bare tensions between public and private space.

A conversation with the city
Together with Non-fiction, an agency for cultural innovation, the Oude Kerk has organised a programme on the roof that is open to the public. Meant for all ages, this ‘conversation with the city’, will offer new insights into current social themes. Additionally, there will be radio broadcasts made from the rooftop terrace.

The Japanese artist Taturo Atzu (Nagoya, 1960), whose work on this scale has never been shown before in the Netherlands, is also known under the aliases Tatzu Nishi, Tazu Rous, Tazro Niscino, Tatzu Oozu and Tatsurou Bashi. His spectacular projects attest to a long-standing fascination for contradictions that touch on each other. Temporary settings which transform public (historical) monuments and evoke the intimacy of living spaces, are characteristic of Atzu's work. By conceiving alienation on such a large-scale, Atzu questions the relationship between society and individual. His art examines the personal relationships of ordinary people to grand narratives in history.