Holland Festival and Hartwig Art Foundation are teaming up to present Welcome to Asbestos Hall, an ambitious work by American choreographer and festival associate artist Trajal Harrell. This project culminates his research on the traditional Japanese dance-theater art form butoh and its influence on modern dance, voguing, and fashion.
This large-scale programme taking place at the Likeminds venue in Amsterdam North revives the spirit of Tokyo’s legendary Asbestos Hall, founded in the 1960s by post-war Japanese dance pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata. At that time, Asbestos Hall was a vibrant hub where artists would gather, socialize, sleep, drink, create and engage in ongoing discussions and artistic production throughout the night.
From Tuesday to Sunday throughout the Holland Festival 2025, audiences are invited to attend open-studio rehearsals during the day, while the evenings feature dance performances and an ever-evolving programme that extends beyond Harrell’s work. This includes workshops, discussions, guest performances, film screenings, book presentations, pop-up events, and late-night parties.
Since 2022, Hartwig Art Foundation and Holland Festival have been presentation partners, with collaborations including: Wu Tsang / Moved by the Motion’s MOBY DICK (2022), Ed Atkins’ Epitaph, The worm, and Meredith Monk’s Indra’s Net (2023), as well as Carmen by Wu Tsang / Moved by the Motion (2024).