Sails of Anarchy

For the exhibition Sails of Anarchy, the Amsterdam-based collective Cold in Church transforms the galleries of Arti et Amicitiae into an immersive world centred around their new concept album Convent. Through multi-channel sound, scenography, kinetic light, costumes, painting, drawing and performance, the exhibition becomes a total installation where maritime history, pirate mythology and fiction converge.

The exhibition unfolds across three interconnected spaces. Emerging from the universe of Convent, it creates an environment in which historical and imagined worlds intertwine. Visitors move through an ever-shifting landscape of sound, image and theatrical elements.

At its core is a spatial sound and light installation composed of loudspeakers, instruments, paintings and textual fragments. Depending on each visitor’s position within the space, new combinations of voices, sounds and narratives continuously emerge. Each day, the installation is activated during the so-called “magic hour” by members of the collective.

A third space brings together an extensive series of drawings depicting ships, pirates, queer bodies and speculative landscapes, further expanding the narrative world of Convent.

Cold in Church consists of Jacob Dwyer, Cécile Tafanelli, Faysal Mroueh, Charlott Weise, Giovanni Giaretta and Danielle Vorthuys, and collaborates on this presentation with Mauricio van der Maesen de Sombreff and Helena Julian.

During Museumnacht Amsterdam 2026 (7 November), Sails of Anarchy reaches its culmination with a live performance of Convent, in which concert, installation and performance merge into a single theatrical experience. Separate tickets are required for this Museumnacht and can be purchased through the Museum Night organisation.

Image: Dakota by Night, Hessel Stuut