This is a film about Amsterdam and the most interesting and inspiring people who live here and the way that they are connected to one another.
In this episode we meet Gesina Roters. She runs a design agency here in Amsterdam called DAY and we meet her in her apartment talking to her former student Amna Mulabegovic.
What I like about this film is how it captures this special dynamic between Gesina and Amna as they talk about philosophy, art, music and other things that interest Gesina.
Transcript of interview:
GESINA ROTERS:
My name is Gesian Roters. I think people know me best for being a very driven person in my profession with a creative mind. I run a company with two other people called DAY in Amsterdam.
The reason we called it DAY is because in our profession every day is different.
Each day is beautiful and every day is an opportunity to make something out of nothing.
I think that people know me for being somebody you can’t put in a box. I really like to jump back and forth between professional disciplines, and I’m not reallyinterested in being in one of any corners.
AMNA MULABEGOVIC:
Where are we in Amsterdam and what does this place mean to you?
GESINA ROTERS:
We are in my home and this place is my horizon. As you can probably see in the way I have designed my apartment, the horizon line is important because it has a kind of emptiness. Emptiness to me is freedom and it is important because we are constantly filled with impressions and words and pictures. When I come home I like to find emptiness as this often means that new ideas come to you.
AMNA MULABEGOVIC
If there was one book people should read which book would it be?
GESINA ROTERS:
Well I thought about this and was unable to come up with just one book. However I find reading books focussed on philosophy enlightening. It’s not so important whether you read the natural philosophers or Plato or modern philosophy, to me it’s all about leaning back so you can get a wider perspective through which to see the age you are living in. Philosophical books help me remember that there is not one truth. This also helps inform me in my work how you shape things and how you share your thoughts.
AMNA MULABEGOVIC
If there was one piece of music people should hear which music?
GESINA ROTERS:
For me it is most definitely- the Canto Ostinato written by Simeon Ten Holt. He is a dutch modern composer who writes modern classical and minimalist music. It’s a piece for one to four pianos and it’s based on repetition featuring the same sequence over again. It can go on for hours but it’s so beautiful and it changes your mind and it opens your mind. You can have it in the background at the same time you can listen to it really carefully and it’s amazing.
AMNA MULABEGOVIC
Who is the most interesting person in Amsterdam ?
I want to pass this in on to Willem Baars. He is an art historian writer and curator
of his gallery in Amsterdam. He is very interesting and inspiring because of his knowledge of contemporary art. He has a controversial way of thinking and believes that good art has to be a little bit uncomfortable. I think he can really lead tell you to some fascinating topics and people.
Check out DAY creative agency https://day.nl/
Follow Gesina here https://www.instagram.com/gesinaroters/
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