How is it that all the knowledge humanity has accumulated over the centuries so rarely leads to wisdom?
This fundamental question forms the starting point of Ode to Days of Wisdom, a new site-specific art installation by Laurence Aëgerter, on view at the Grote Kerk Alkmaar from 6 June to 6 September 2026.
For this project, Aëgerter draws inspiration from the history of the Librije of the Grote Kerk, a rare example of an early modern public library, where books were consulted by the community for centuries. The Librije was a place for the sharing of knowledge, encounter, and dialogue, embedded within the church as a public space. At a time when knowledge and information are increasingly distorted by algorithms and artificial intelligence, and when misinformation is spreading, this history takes on renewed urgency.
In her installation, Aëgerter reflects on knowledge as a shared resource, on memory, and on its transmission across generations. Her work brings together historical imagery and contemporary questions about responsibility, connectedness, and wisdom, while exploring how easily people today can be led astray in their search for insight and meaning.
Location
Grote Kerk Alkmaar
Koorstraat 2, 1811GP Alkmaar
The Netherlands
Free entry
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