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EXboot

EXboot aan de kade bij de Nijverheid
EXboot logo

Ik ben EXboot aan de Nijverheidskade

Every month, I fill my space with new groundbreaking art.

June

July

August

now

EXboot logo

EXboot logo
all exhibitions

Plan je bezoek

Een groep jonge mannen kijkt door het raam van de EXboot naar binnen

Always at EXboot

Het zandpadmuseum

"I cherish both my present and my past. In addition to being a place for groundbreaking art, one of my rooms also houses the Zandpad Museum. Here, I share the story of my illustrious past and introduce you to people who know me well—inside and out. Take a seat on my stool, gaze out the window, and listen to the many stories surrounding my existence."

Short documentary ‘Het Zandpad’

In the 'Zandpad Museum', you can watch a short documentary about the origins of the Zandpad. The Zandpad used to be a strip of boats in the river Vecht, where sexworkers could fullfill their profession legaly. The documentary features numerous audio fragments of conversations with various people involved, including a former sex worker and former mayor Aleid Wolfsen.

This Zandpad documentary was created by Sylvie Kamphuis & Jaap Pronk (directors), Bram Engelaar (camera), Doenja Abel (production), Twan Bracco Gartner (music), and Bald Beeld (editing). Special thanks to the interviewees: Aleid Wolfsen (former mayor of Utrecht), Brenda Oude Breuil (criminologist at Utrecht University), Jannie Teunissen (De Tussenvoorziening), the former sex worker, and the former client of the Zandpad.

The documentary was made possible with support from the Municipality of Utrecht, K.F. Heinfonds, Mondriaan Fund, and RTV Utrecht.

I am EXboot

Knock softly on my window. If the red light is on and the curtains are open, you are more than welcome. Come inside—without judgement.

My official name is Willy II, built in 1972. Before I end up at Nijverheidskade, I used to dock at Zandpad in Overvecht. Infamous and famous for its female beauty, rented by the hour. I am not one of the first boats. After World War II, it was a celebration. Soldiers far from home seek a good pair of breasts to celebrate their victory or to weep upon. Utrecht meets that need in 1945 by housing women of pleasure in boats just outside the city.

The trouble started in the 1980s. More and more, I carried women who could not understand each other, women with homesickness, women who were black and blue… Inspections and petitions followed, along with arguments and diseases. But believe me, there were just as many women with strong entrepreneurial spirit—women who took great pleasure in earning money with their beautiful bodies.

Still, we were shut down in 2013, all boats lined up. Not until 2017 was I kissed awake. Along with two other boats from Zandpad, Utrecht artists hoisted me onto the quay at De Nijverheid. Signs reading ‘Abusievelijk Gesloten’ (erroneously closed) adorn my windows, and my red stools stand upright—ready to be sat on.

Do you hear that? They knock impatiently on my window. There is always a demand for true beauty.

In the summer of 2018, the artists reignite my red light—as a lighthouse, as a beacon in the night. Two of my rooms take on new roles: one as the Zandpad Museum, where I tell of my storied past, and the other as an exhibition space for emerging talent. Once again, my wood creaks and groans as new and groundbreaking art is crafted. Month after month.

I was once a boat that showcased beautiful women. But from now on, I display beautiful art, and my name is: EXboot."

Kijk naar binnen door de deur: een bed met een rode lamp.

Dit is mijn binnenkant.

De EXboot vanaf de kade

Dit is mijn buitenkant

In the media