Giving arts the business: the Dutch creatively protest Covid restrictions. From the article: 

Under Dutch rules, museums, theatres, bars and cafes aren’t allowed to open, but hairdressers, beauticians and gyms can. That’s why beauticians were offering cherry-blossom and starry-night nail art inspired by the master.

“A museum visit is a safe visit, and equally important as going to a nail salon, perhaps more so. We just ask them to be consistent… make the rules in a way everyone understands them. At this point that seems to be lacking,” [Emilie] Gordenker said.

The Van Gogh Museum was one of many institutions taking part:

  • Amsterdam’s De Balie debate centre circumvented the rules by opening as a religious institution called the Philosophical Society, the Community of Reason
  • The Mauritshuis, home to Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring, organised a boot camp for workouts, on parliament’s doorstep in The Hague…
  • The Limburgs Museum in the south-east was among those turning into a gym for the day. “Because that wasn’t allowed, our colleagues left their workplaces for an active Zumba session,” it tweeted….

Many sectors of society share the view that the government’s strategy is illogical and contradictory.

“It’s crooked, I can do my job and the people from the museum cannot,” said Mischa, a barber, who carted his traditional barber’s chair, mirror and trimmers into the entrance of the Van Gogh Museum.

“Look around you. There’s so much space, and people can be in a supermarket with 300 people, it’s crazy.”

But didn’t he feel anxious, working so close to Van Gogh’s masterpieces? “Only anxious I will cut someone’s ear off, like Vincent did,” he quipped.

On the other side of Amsterdam’s museum square, the Concertgebouw treated 50 people to an orchestral rehearsal accompanied by a hairdresser’s scissors, snipping on stage. Dutch orchestras are currently allowed to rehearse but not admit audiences.

The orchestra said it was designed “to enrich their lives with the power of symphonic music at a time when everyone needs inspiration”.

h/t Tamara Davidson