Amsterdam: What must not give way

A recent exhibition in Amsterdam highlighted the disappearance of the rough edges of the city in the face of continuing development. These ‘free spaces’ have offered havens for creativity, alternative lifestyles and sustainability programmes.

Many of these locations around the fringes of Amsterdam have operated as cultural incubators, allowing artists to thrive and providing a base for experimental events and happenings. As we pointed out in a recent study of event space in Amsterdam, it is getting increasingly hard to find locations to stage outdoor events in the city as more and more peripheral spaces are taken over by housing developments. The new occupants of the gleaming apartment blocks often object to having events staged close to them, taking a NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) attitude to alternative culture.

This is potentially problematic, as the Municipality of Amsterdam has adopted a policy of trying to preserve these free spaces and the cultural innovation they support. For example, the event location at Thuishaven, part of the Port of Amsterdam, has been operating for 10 years. In that time the area has slowly developed as a year-round event venue, with a large circus tent as the centrepiece. There are now 190 people working in the area, which now advertises itself as the “cultural freeport of Amsterdam”. The site houses mainly house and techno events over the summer. A warehouse provides the opportunity to stage events in the winter as well.

“Thuishaven is not a club, or a warehouse. It’s a unique experience. Located on the Western outskirts of Amsterdam, the site is surrounded by heavy industry, massive oil tankers and scrap metal yards. Thuishaven has several stages, bars, surreal decoration pieces and curiosities. Incorporating materials purchased or found at neighbouring scrap yards, the site radiates a raw and industrial atmosphere”

Many of these remaining cultural oases are now located in Amsterdam Noord, the northernmost suburb of city, which is now being rapidly developed for much-needed housing. The threat posed to the area’s cultural life was highlighted in the exhibition Wat Niet Mag Wijken – literally ‘What must not give way’, but also playing on the Dutch word ‘wijk’ or neighbourhood. Coen Dijkstra and Bart Verbunt spent a year documenting the many cultural hotspots in Amsterdam Noord, and brought these together in a photo exhibition staged at the Pexpo Gallery (another cultural hotspot whose future is far from certain). The project also included a bike tour of the 14 locations, a newspaper and a website, www.watnietmagwijken.nl.

The exhibition presented a series of photos showing the varied forms of creativity that have sprung up in these free spaces, from creative incubators such as De Ceuvel to green spaces like the  VerbroederIJ and social projects like Helen’s Free Food Market, which provides free healthy food for local families. The Modestraat, located in a shopping centre, provides textile and sewing workshops as well as a ‘language café’. What all of these spaces have in common is an uncertain future. They currently have spaces provided by the Municipality, but almost all know that they will have to find a new home within a couple of years. This cultural game of cat and mouse is witness to the growing intensification of land use in cities like Amsterdam, where population growth is fuelled mainly by falling household sizes and in-migration. The population of the city has grown by 28% since 2000, and the ‘wealth gap’ between the richest and poorest is growing: along with those occupying the flash apartment blocks along the River Ij, a third of Amsterdam residents struggle to make ends meet.

The exhibition at Pexpo and the photo project bring into clear focus the ongoing struggles, not only for the little free space that remains, but also for the soul of the city.