Paradiso

Paradiso (2023) by Berend Strik documents the iconic Paradiso cultural venue in Amsterdam — a former church converted into one of Europe's most legendary music and cultural venues.

Paradiso's history is remarkable: built as a neo-Gothic church in 1870, it was secularized in the 1960s and became a countercultural venue where The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and countless other legendary acts performed. Today it stands as a symbol of Amsterdam's cultural openness and creative spirit.

Strik's documentation of Paradiso through his stitched photography technique creates an apt metaphor: just as Paradiso transformed sacred space into secular culture, Strik transforms photographic documentation into something more layered and transcendent. The building's original religious function — "vision of heaven" — resonates with Strik's practice of adding vision-enhancing textile layers to flat photographs.

The work is part of Strik's ongoing series documenting cultural institutions and civic spaces — a practice that began with his earliest architectural photographs and continues into recent works from 2023.

Sources: Galerie Fons Welters