A new exhibition exploring the history of Jewish magicians opens this Friday at the Joods Museum. Titled Abracadabra, the show runs through the end of March.
The project started when illusionist Hans Klok inherited several moving boxes belonging to Theo Bamberg, a Jewish-Amsterdam magician who performed globally before the Second World War as Okito. Klok still uses one of Okito’s tricks today.
Klok brought the items to the museum, which chose to widen the scope to cover other Jewish performers.
Fifteen performers highlighted
The exhibition features objects and stories from 15 Jewish magicians, including eight with backgrounds in Amsterdam. Jewish magicians saw a peak in the early twentieth century, partly because the stage was an open trade at a time when Jewish people were barred from many professional guilds.
Items on display include a straitjacket used by Harry Houdini. The exhibition also features videos of Klok’s own performances, including a 2013 stunt suspended high in the air outside Carré.
Interactive elements are set up for children, who can take part in classic stage illusions such as being sawed in half or disappearing inside a cabinet.
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