Opening Ode to Days of Wisdom – Laurence Aëgerter

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Opening Ode to Days of Wisdom – Laurence Aëgerter

We are delighted to invite you and your guest to the festive opening of the exhibition Ode to Days of Wisdom by Laurence Aëgerter at the Grote Kerk Alkmaar. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the church doors will open at 3:30 PM. The official program begins at 4:00 PM with a welcome speech by director Naud van Geffen, followed by an introduction to the exhibition.

Monumental installation
For the high choir, Laurence Aëgerter has created a monumental installation inspired by the historic Librije of the Grote Kerk. From the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century, the Librije served as a place of knowledge, study, and exchange within the church. This early modern ‘public library’ forms the starting point for Aëgerter’s work and her question: how is it that all the knowledge humanity has gathered over centuries seems to lead to so little wisdom?
The installation unfolds as a serene landscape of damask. Knowledge is embedded within the fabric, yet it does not reveal itself at a glance. Aëgerter also introduces an element that reaches toward the light—a longing for insight and enlightenment, though the path toward it is not easily taken. In this way, the work makes tangible how fragile and complex the journey toward wisdom can be.

About the artist
Laurence Aëgerter (1972) lives and works in Amsterdam and Marseille. In her practice, she reinterprets archives and explores perception and memory, ranging from site-specific installations to tapestries and photography. Her work has been exhibited at the Musée du Petit Palais in Paris, MAMAC Nice, the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, and the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. Click here for more information about Laurence: www.laurenceaegerter.com | Instagram.

With Ode to Days of Wisdom, the Grote Kerk Alkmaar presents the sixth edition of Nieuw Licht – Art in the Grote Kerk. Each year, this series invites an artist to develop a site-specific work in dialogue with the monumental character and history of the church.