Life Lessons From a Dutch Art Movement

Can geometric shapes heal the world? That's what the artists of the De Stijl movement—which came of age in the Netherlands after World War I—believed. Piet Mondrian is one of the most famous members of this group, which forbade circles and embraced light, color, and geometry as a way to move past the chaos of the war. As AFAR contributing writer Chris Colin discovers on a trip to Utrecht, that's not quite as bizarre as it sounds. And as he bicycles through quaint streets, meditates along charming canals, and visits the De Stijl artifacts that still exist, Chris learns that, just maybe, De Stijl's philosophy is still applicable today.

Don't miss these moments!

• 3:31: The beginning of Chris's Q&A.
• 7:55: What he appreciated most about the city.
• 9:47: Why De Stijl's art has endured.
• 14:25: Chris's Travel Tale.

Meet this week’s guest

• Chris Colin, AFAR contributing writer 

Resources

• Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Enjoy Chris’s book Off, a picture book about an analog world.
• Visit Utrecht and explore De Stijl for yourself. 
• Listen to Chris’s other Travel Tales about renting a friend in Tokyo and grappling with the mystery of train travel on the Coast Starlight.
• Follow him on Instagram. 

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

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