Astronauts in the Jeruzalem Church

On the longest day of the year two astronauts land in Amsterdam-West. They do a warm-up jog on the square before going into the Jerusalem Church where they get fitted into their suits.

According to palaeontologysts the first objects to be vererated were meteorites, and the metal in them. Later this was extended to monoliths, which were used as burial stones or judgementstones. In time this would also include stone statues, ivory or wooden statues, and long after that all kinds of religious relics and works of art. But it started apparently with astroliths.

On the altar a mysterious meteor-like blob of clay resides. The astronauts explore the church and inspect the clay object. Next to the altar sits a solitary figure, building a cardboard model of a church. It's Joseph Merrick, the Elephantman, half man, half comet. A strange and at times hilarious ritual unfolds involving also a group of people in animal costumes, and time-keepers.

Astronauts: Johannes Sterk, Elias Tieleman. Merrick: Theun Karelse.
Animal costumes by Alet Pilon, Merrick costume by Simone de Rooij, music by Karel Christian Schultz, Tian Rotteveel.