Edition #22 of the Hypnotic Show that started in 2008 Hypnotic Show at Kunstverein Amsterdam
With Raimundas Malašaukas
The Hypnotic Show found a resonant home at Kunstverein Amsterdam, serving as both a prologue and an epilogue to the organization's 15-year trajectory. The first edition.was presented in 2009 at the invitation of co-founding directors Maxine Kopsa and Krist Gruijthuijsen. This inaugural performance explored states of animated presence and collective projection, including a hypnotic narration as a poster of Elvis seemingly came alive within a hypnotically induced narrative space.
Fifteen years later, hosted by director Yana Foqué in 2024, Kunstverein Amsterdam once again hosted the Hypnotic Show for its final season, creating a poetic symmetry. This closing iteration reflected on time, memory, and transformation—not only within the individual participant, but within the institution itself.
Between these two temporal anchor points, Kunstverein Amsterdam and Lutyens continued their collaboration with K--Tanglement (2017), an experimental public artwork staged at Rembrandtplein. Drawing from principles of quantum entanglement, this participatory project invited passersby into shared states of speculative connection and psychic feedback.
Their visionary leadership fostered a platform for radical imagination, experimental formats, and the expansion of what an art space can be—ideals that align closely with the evolving ethos of the Hypnotic Show.

Final note from Zahar:
My update is that I have made a present for Yana out of your drawing. I think it is fitting: it suggests a rite of passage, it has stairs as in Kunstverein (first you go up, then down) and it even says 'Kunstverein 15 years'! Ola will deliver it tomorrow, together with many whiskey glasses we have made for the last drink, because I will have to miss the event due to work... we are still signing it, and if you wanna add something to the back, let me know and we will add it.