Opening’s speech based on futurist book on the Netherlands in 2020

The honour of opening the seventh edition of Explore the North in suitable fashion lies in the capable hands of the illustrious A.H.J. Dautzenberg. In his bespoke opening’s speech, he will be conveying you into the future. It will be based on the book Een huwelijk in het jaar 2020 (A Marriage in the Year 2020) by Maurits Wagenvoort. The book was first published in 1923, describing the Netherlands in 2020. With a deft eye for things to come, Wagenvoort applies his mind to such issues as technological progress. Among the inventions he mentions is a digital device called a fotofoon (photophone). A portable device for taking pictures, no less. As a white male living in the 1920s, Wagenvoort also happens to work from a feminist perspective. Dautzenberg will also be presenting his own new book, Geestman, which will be published in November.

Fotocredits: Annaleen Louwes