Name: Brutally Minimalistic
Start: 2025-11-05T19:15:00+01:00
End: 2025-11-05T21:00:00+01:00
Location: De Thomas

Josephine de Zwaan

Nicolas Chevrollier

Anne Veinberg

Herman Lai

Brutally Minimalistic

van Lai Production aims to produce live performances, primarily focusing on music, such as piano and organ, in various venues. We strive to blend business professionals with professional artists to attract a more diverse audience. Our goal is to create a live, listening, networking, and sensory experience in a creative way.

van Lai Production

Minimal Music and Insightful Talks – a cultural event designed as an end-of-year gift for reflection in a fast-paced consumer culture

De Thomas

<p><em><strong><strong>Brutally Minimalistic</strong></strong></em> 2025 is a cultural event designed as an antidote to <strong><strong>consumerism</strong></strong> and <strong><strong>Black Friday</strong></strong>, hosted at De Thomas in Zuidas, renowned for its <strong><strong>Brutalist architecture</strong></strong>. Featuring <strong><strong>minimal music</strong></strong> by a <strong><strong>piano duo</strong></strong> and inspiring talks, the event offers full immersion in space, sound, and thought.</p><p>This concert provides a moment of reflection on our daily lives before the rush of festive holidays like Thanksgiving, Sinterklaas, and Christmas. By presenting minimal music as a conceptual counterbalance to consumerism, the program encourages reflection amidst today's fast-paced consumer culture, countering the impulsive purchases and overconsumption sparked by events like Black Friday. (See other counter-initiatives such as '<a href="https://greenfriday.nl/" title="https://greenfriday.nl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Green Friday</a>')</p><p><br></p>

<h3>Program</h3><h4>- Music -</h4><p>John Adams: Hallelujah Junction(Featured in the film “Call Me By Your Name”)<br>Philip Glass: Four Movements for Two Pianos (excerpt)<br>Michael Nyman: Water Dances (excerpt)</p><p><br></p><h4>-Inspired Talks -</h4><ul><li>Understanding degrowth</li><li>Taking action at the organizational and individual level</li></ul><p><em><em>(speech will be in English)</em></em></p>

<h4>-Speakers-</h4><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-dezwaan-6ab29321/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-dezwaan-6ab29321/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Josephine de Zwaan</a> |Supervisory Board Roles, Former Chair of the Board at Fairphone /</p><p>Nyenrode Alumnus and PhD student</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nchevrollier/" title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nchevrollier/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Nicolas Chevrollier</a> | Associate Professor at Nyenrode Business Universiteit</p><h4>-Musicians-</h4><p><strong><strong>Herman Lai</strong></strong>, piano</p><p><a href="https://anneveinberg.com/" title="https://anneveinberg.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><strong><strong>Anne Veinberg</strong></strong></a>, piano</p>

<h4>🎁Tafel van Overvloed (Table of Abundance)</h4><p>We encourage you to bring good things that you no longer use to find a new owner for free. The only rule is that you take your item back if no one takes it. </p>

<h3>Production Team</h3><ul><li>van Lai Production</li><li>Nyenrode Alumni Circle For Sustainability</li><li><strong><strong>Herman Lai</strong></strong> producer</li><li><strong><strong>Tamara Veldboer</strong></strong> co-lead</li><li><strong><strong>Marjolein Baghuis</strong></strong> moderator</li><li><strong><strong>Tzu-Wei (Velika) Hung</strong></strong> event manager</li><li><strong><strong>I-Chun Chou</strong></strong> visual designer</li></ul><h3>Sponser</h3><ul><li>Zuidas, gemeente Amsterdam</li></ul>

<h3>General Information</h3><ul><li>Date: 5 November 2025</li><li>Time: 19:15 (Doors open at 18:30)</li><li>Location: de Thomas</li><li>Address: Prinses Irenestraat 36, Amsterdam (next to Amsterdam Zuid Station, Beethovenstraat, and WTC)</li><li>Admission: 20€ regular ticket / 12,50€ student / free admission for under 18</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em><em>Transaction fees and BTW are already included in the ticket price.</em></em></p><h4><br></h4><h3>Support Us</h3><p>To make the event more accessible to everyone, we have kept ticket prices affordable. Inviting your family, friends, or colleagues to join you would be the biggest support to us.</p>

<p><br></p><h3>de Thomas</h3><blockquote><em><em>de Thomas has always been a place for reflection, spirituality and personal growth.</em></em></blockquote><p>The building of de Thomas was designed by architect Karel Sijmons and is considered to be the most important Protestant church building after the Second World War. The brutalist interior of the church hall is one of the 100 most beautiful church interiors in the Netherlands. Sijmons designed everything in the church hall itself, including the chairs. And the Thomaskerk has its own indoor theatre: unique for Dutch churches.</p>

Agenda

Door Open

Piano duo music by John Adams (Hallelujah Junction), Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman. Inspiring talks on “Degrowth” and on driving repair, reuse, and recycling in everyday roles.

Concert & Talks

In addition to the main program of minimalist music and keynote speakers, visitors to the concert are invited to bring good things that they no longer use. These will be placed on the ‘table of abundance’, where the items can find a new owner for free. This is not mandatory and this table can be visited during the event. All kinds of items are welcome, such as books, clothing, household items, toys and games.
The only rule is that you take your brought item back if no one has taken it.