Museumplein gets iconic 3X3 Legacy Art Court where basketball, art and protest come together
The basketball court on Amsterdam’s Museumplein is being transformed into a Legacy Art Court this summer. Artist Munir de Vries has created an artwork that represents far more than a colourful playing court. The mural They Tried to Bury Us, But They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds connects street basketball, art and social protest.
The Legacy Art Court initiative is led by 3X3 Leader Ruben Jonker on behalf of 3X3 Unites, in collaboration with Amsterdam Street Art, Amsterdam South District and the Municipality of Amsterdam. The intention is for the Legacy Art Court to be maintained for at least five years and remain part of Museumplein, one of Amsterdam's best-known and most iconic locations.
The Legacy Art Court initiative is led by 3X3 Leader Ruben Jonker on behalf of 3X3 Unites, in collaboration with Amsterdam Street Art, Amsterdam South District and the Municipality of Amsterdam. The intention is for the Legacy Art Court to be maintained for at least five years and remain part of Museumplein, one of Amsterdam's best-known and most iconic locations.
With the Legacy Art Court, 3X3 Unites aims to leave a lasting legacy in places where it has organised events. In 2017, 3X3 Unites was involved in organising the FIBA 3x3 European Championship on Museumplein and has hosted free 3x3 activities there ever since. It started with two new Legacy baskets in 2017, and over the years the court on Museumplein has grown into a permanent meeting place for the 3x3 community.
Artist Munir de Vries developed the artwork after numerous conversations that he and Ruben Jonker held with local residents, neighbours and people who regularly use the court. Through street art, they wanted to create a connection with the local community and reflect the different meanings of Museumplein as a place for both art and protest.
The Legacy Art Court project started more than a year ago with the opening of the new basketball court and skate park on Museumplein. This provided an opportunity for 3X3 Unites to engage even more with the existing community and explain the vision behind the Legacy Art Court. Shortly afterwards, Ruben Jonker enthusiastically started working on the project as project leader.
Artist Munir de Vries developed the artwork after numerous conversations that he and Ruben Jonker held with local residents, neighbours and people who regularly use the court. Through street art, they wanted to create a connection with the local community and reflect the different meanings of Museumplein as a place for both art and protest.
The Legacy Art Court project started more than a year ago with the opening of the new basketball court and skate park on Museumplein. This provided an opportunity for 3X3 Unites to engage even more with the existing community and explain the vision behind the Legacy Art Court. Shortly afterwards, Ruben Jonker enthusiastically started working on the project as project leader.
Together with Lars Brehm of the Amsterdam Arts Council, Ruben Jonker selected three artists from a group of fifteen who were invited to present themselves during 24 uur Zuid on Museumplein. Local residents, neighbours and court users were then invited to vote for their favourite design. Artist Munir de Vries received the most votes.
The many conversations that Munir and Ruben had revealed that simply picking up a basketball can be the seed for enormous personal growth - from the concrete of the streets all the way to the world stage. Basketball players on Museumplein told Munir that the court is about much more than sport: it is a place where people grow up and develop important social skills.
As in 2Pac's The Rose That Grew From Concrete, some seeds break through every obstacle, and the artwork extends beyond the lines of the court. With the mural They Tried to Bury Us, But They Didn't Know We Were Seeds, Munir wants to show that everyone has the potential to grow. The quote itself originally comes from queer Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos and is now used internationally on protest signs advocating emancipation and equal rights.
The many conversations that Munir and Ruben had revealed that simply picking up a basketball can be the seed for enormous personal growth - from the concrete of the streets all the way to the world stage. Basketball players on Museumplein told Munir that the court is about much more than sport: it is a place where people grow up and develop important social skills.
As in 2Pac's The Rose That Grew From Concrete, some seeds break through every obstacle, and the artwork extends beyond the lines of the court. With the mural They Tried to Bury Us, But They Didn't Know We Were Seeds, Munir wants to show that everyone has the potential to grow. The quote itself originally comes from queer Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos and is now used internationally on protest signs advocating emancipation and equal rights.
In that sense, the artwork also reflects Museumplein's role as a place of protest and as a location where different forms of art come together. The accessibility of basketball and the Legacy Art Court forms a striking contrast with the famous museums surrounding Museumplein, from the Stedelijk Museum to the Rijksmuseum.
With the Legacy Art Court on Museumplein, 3X3 Unites has enabled a renowned artist to make art visible in a different and highly accessible way. It is not art that visitors encounter inside the surrounding museums; instead, it is displayed in a public space where everyone can experience it free of charge. One of the basketball players who regularly plays on Museumplein summed it up perfectly: this location blurs the boundary between sport and art.
Munir himself grew up in Amsterdam Southeast, where the roots of 3X3 Unites also lie, and studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU). He previously created a mural for Younity in Utrecht, a sports-focused community hub that was also initiated by young people from 3X3 Unites. The Museumplein mural contains many references to the location itself, bringing together a wide variety of stories. Every time you step onto the court, you discover another piece of the bigger picture.
Find out more about Munir here!
With the Legacy Art Court on Museumplein, 3X3 Unites has enabled a renowned artist to make art visible in a different and highly accessible way. It is not art that visitors encounter inside the surrounding museums; instead, it is displayed in a public space where everyone can experience it free of charge. One of the basketball players who regularly plays on Museumplein summed it up perfectly: this location blurs the boundary between sport and art.
Munir himself grew up in Amsterdam Southeast, where the roots of 3X3 Unites also lie, and studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU). He previously created a mural for Younity in Utrecht, a sports-focused community hub that was also initiated by young people from 3X3 Unites. The Museumplein mural contains many references to the location itself, bringing together a wide variety of stories. Every time you step onto the court, you discover another piece of the bigger picture.
Find out more about Munir here!
For 3X3 Unites, this is not the first Legacy Art Court. Earlier Legacy Art Courts were created in locations including Westerpark. Artist George Adegite, better known as 'SiMSALABiMS', also designed a mobile Legacy Art Court that has previously been installed in the Bijlmer and at the 3X3 Festival, where elite sport, art, culture and community building came together for an entire weekend.
Alongside the world's best 3x3 basketball players, the festival featured numerous side events where 3X3 Leaders helped organise activities, developed new skills themselves and gave artists and cultural initiatives a platform. From master printmaker Shon Price to Sneakerness, which organises events for sneaker enthusiasts, art and culture were an integral part of the festival.
The same applies to 3X3 Unites' own merchandise, which was designed with the help of 3X3 Leaders. In this way, 3X3 Unites uses 3x3 basketball as a gateway to art, fashion, music and other creative disciplines, giving 3X3 Leaders opportunities to showcase their talents and continue developing themselves.
Alongside the world's best 3x3 basketball players, the festival featured numerous side events where 3X3 Leaders helped organise activities, developed new skills themselves and gave artists and cultural initiatives a platform. From master printmaker Shon Price to Sneakerness, which organises events for sneaker enthusiasts, art and culture were an integral part of the festival.
The same applies to 3X3 Unites' own merchandise, which was designed with the help of 3X3 Leaders. In this way, 3X3 Unites uses 3x3 basketball as a gateway to art, fashion, music and other creative disciplines, giving 3X3 Leaders opportunities to showcase their talents and continue developing themselves.
That was also true for the Legacy Art Court on Museumplein. Several 3X3 Leaders helped paint the court, which was completed on 24 July. The brand-new court forms part of the Sport Pride Festival on Museumplein, taking place from 5 to 8 August during WorldPride.
As part of its partnership with Rabobank Amsterdam, 3X3 Unites will organise several clinics during the Sport Pride Festival. Both 3X3 Unites and WorldPride share the ambition of creating opportunities for all young people through an event centred on visibility, safety, equality and inclusion.
The official opening of the Legacy Art Court on Museumplein will take place in September, after which Amsterdam will have gained both a new iconic basketball court and a remarkable work of public art.
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