During the Amsterdam Dance Event 2025, artist Robin Alysha Clemens, in collaboration with Paradiso and Tolhuistuin, will present the premiere of the video installation Dance For Salvation.
Dance For Salvation tells the true story of David, a man who is part of a strict religious community in New York but unexpectedly falls in love with techno music. Without anyone knowing, he secretly goes to techno raves, a world that stands in stark contrast to the rules of his devout faith.
This 6-minute video installation follows David's personal search for identity and a sense of belonging in two seemingly contradictory worlds. Visitors are invited to step onto the dance floor, where faith and hedonism collide, yet in both, the need for community plays a central role. As the techno beats fill the room, they will hear David’s personal story through headphones, talking about on his inner conflicts and his longing for freedom and community.
The work explores the tension between religion, freedom, hypocrisy, and desire, raising the question of whether it is possible to truly feel at home in these opposing worlds or if they will always exclude each other in the end.
This project has been made possible thanks to NARS Foundation, Het Cultuurfonds, and Stichting Stokroos.
Location and visiting hours
Location: Tolhuistuin, IJ-promenade 2, Amsterdam
Wednesday 22:
17:00 - 19:00: official opening and free entrance
19:30 - end, only accessible to ticket holders
Thursday 23:
12:00 - 19:00 free entrance
19:30 - end, only accessible to ticket holders
Friday 24:
12:00 - 19:00 free entrance
19:30 - end, only accessible to ticket holders
Saturday 25:
13:00 - end, only accessible to ticket holders
Sunday 26:
12:00 - 19:00 free entrance
19:30 - end, only accessible to ticket holders
About the artist
Robin Alysha Clemens (b. 1992) is a lens-based artist from Amsterdam, creating documentary art projects that explore themes of home, belonging, and community. By focusing on everyday stories from the fringes, the non-conformists, the overlooked, and the messy, Robin’s work holds up a mirror to any assumptions that quietly shape how we view one another.
Robin graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts and works both as an independent artist and a freelance photographer for musicians, newspapers, and cultural organizations. Their work has been showcased at the Amsterdam Museum (NL), Melkweg Expo (NL), The Dutch Design Week (NL), Helsinki Photo Festival (FI), NARS Foundation (USA), and has been screened at the Netherlands Film Festival (NL), South by Southwest (USA), and Photo Vogue Festival (IT), among others.
