Martijn van Ooststroom

Amsterdam

Art defines his life—and his career: Martijn van Ooststroom is the Marketing and Communications Manager in the Stedeljik Museum in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Surrounded by contemporary artworks, it’s the perfect place for this art historian. Martijn loves Amsterdam, the “small big city,” with its cultural diversity and myriad of galleries for art and design, cafés, pop-up stores, and museums. And because the heart of a true biker beats in his chest, the 46 year old occasionally climbs atop his bike and rides into the countryside.

A good day begins with a good coffee. Martijn picks his up in the neighborhood at Coffee Company Branderij. In this special branch of Amsterdam’s “Coffee Company”, founded in 1996, the brand has its own roasting plant. Heavenly aromas waft through the bright shop. Martijn’s favorite thing is to enjoy the calm of Sunday morning with friends before the city has fully awoken.

In the Frozen Fountain, an oasis of stylish furniture design, the passionate art collector finds inspiration and surprising design highlights. Found in 1985, the store has become an institution for exclusive interior design from classic to modern, designed by Dutch newcomers as well as established design artists like Pie Hein Eek.

Martijn, who specialized in contemporary jewelry during his studies, is in his element in Rob Koudijs’ Gallery for modern jewelry. “Everyone understands the meaning of wedding rings,” he says, explaining his fascination. “But modern artists are redefining them by making new art out of jewelry.” As he talks, he sticks a spoon brooch to his T-shirt.

Martijn discovered his passion for riding motorcycles ten years ago while he was living in Canada. The call of wide-open expanses draws him to the countryside. In the village Nederhorst den Berg, half an hour away from Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Gallery “Eewal” uses an enchanting, 13th-century castle (Kasteel Nederhorst) as a place to temporarily house exhibits.

This is what the work outfit of a marketing manager for a modern museum looks like: casual. At Tenue de Nîmes, you can score wonderfully hip and traditional jeans, as well as elegant fashion accessories—brands and products—that the owners discovered on their world travels. This mix is the foundation of the boutique which, by the way, is open every day of the week.

This architectural highlight of the city was opened in April 2012. The EYE Filmmuseum, a futuristic building on the shores of the IJ River, features four cinema halls. The approximately 40,000 films in the archive also include Arthouse flicks—Martijn’s favorite genre. There is also a restaurant in the center of the building with a view over the water, where he enjoys letting his thoughts wander.

Amsterdam’s photography Museum, Foam, opened a temporary cultural exhibit in the historic Felix Meritis building called “Felix &Foam.” The impressive building will be a hot spot for culture lovers for half a year. Foam also presents an equally creative and diverse mixture of exhibits, film presentations, and concerts. The design magazine Frame is heading up a pop-up store for fashion and design in the former foyer. The restaurant, spearheaded by young entrepreneurs, is known as Foyer.

Produced in cooperation with BWM Motorrad, Munich
Featuring the BMW C evolution