Marnix Vinkenborg (1997) is a music theatre maker, composer, and performer. He creates performances in which the everyday collides with the absurd, exploring subjects such as penthouses, global disasters, and turtle doves. Humor, alienation, and friction drive his work, in which music functions as a central theatrical force. Drawing on obscure pop, dark comedy, and situations pushed just beyond their limits, he builds worlds that unsettle, shift, and disrupt.

The IJ Tunnel March
‘Stop complaining, because the time for waiting is over.’ With these lyrics, the IJ Tunnel was opened in 1968. An underwater “Autobahn” of 1,600 meters of reinforced concrete, asphalt, lines, and lights that broke the isolation of Amsterdam-Noord, connecting it to the urban heart of Mokum. Vinkenborg investigates this underground monument in relation to the stories of those connected to it: residents, former builders, experts, and passersby. Not just asphalt and reinforced concrete, but a place where the city opens up – or perhaps closes itself off. What do people think? Are folk singers and contemporary musicians capable of creating a modern ode to the IJ Tunnel, as Willy Alberti did in 1968? By consulting archives, conducting interviews, and making film recordings, Vinkenborg descends into the tunnel, curious to discover where it might lead him.