Legacy Art Court officially opened at Museumplein
The opening brought basketball players, local residents, artists and other people involved together at a place that has been a regular meeting place for the 3x3 community for many years. ‘It is really important to have a place where you can play sports and meet your friends, and Museumplein is exactly the kind of place where you can do that’, says Thomas Hermans, chair of the Amsterdam Zuid district committee.
Artist Munir de Vries painted the Legacy Art Court. Together with project leader and 3X3 Leader Ruben Jonker, he created the artwork after speaking with basketball players, local residents and other people living nearby about the meaning of the location. ‘It is fantastic to see people playing on the court and wearing shirts with the same design. It really feels full circle for me.’
With the quote They Tried to Bury Us, But They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds on the court, Munir wants to show that everyone has the potential to grow within them. The quote refers to the Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos and was later embraced internationally by protest and emancipation movements. Munir translates that idea to the basketball court: a seed that can grow even through concrete.
There was plenty to do during the official opening. During an invitational, 48 players competed against each other, all wearing a reversible jersey specially designed for the opening. This was followed by the official opening moment, which was appropriately celebrated with an alley-oop from district committee chair Hermans to a player, who slammed the ball through the hoop.
The 3X3 Leaders also played an important role during the day. Under the guidance of Raul Villavicencio, they were involved in the production, acted as referees during the games and coordinated the various basketball challenges for visitors and children. During these challenges, participants could win goodies and jerseys, among other things.
Tijmen was one of the 3X3 Leaders present at the opening of the Legacy Art Court. ‘The court is really fantastic. It is a great location in the city, everyone walks past and takes a look at the court. That is really nice. There are so many details in it, and it is great that there is really a story behind it.’ He was also enthusiastic about the jerseys: ‘You have two different sides, and you can really see the design of the court reflected in them. Super cool.’
The Legacy Art Court was already put into use in August during World Pride. Various activations, clinics and talks took place on the brand-new basketball court. During all these activities, the focus was on themes such as inclusion, respect, identity, building community and mental health. These are themes that are important to 3X3 Unites and will always remain central to the Legacy Art Court.
The day ended with the semi-finals and final of the tournament, followed by pick-up games for the community. With music, food and an estimated 100 to 130 people in attendance, including players, the new court was immediately put to use as it was intended: as a place to come together, play and meet one another.
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