I've always been inspired by old industrial buildings like factories, but unfortunately such buildings have become rather rare in the Netherlands. At the moment you can still find some of the remains of the old harbour of Amsterdam called the ‘NDSM werf’ on the other side of the river ‘IJ,’ but this area seems to be in transition as well. For the time being the NDSM werf is a creative place where a lot of activities are taking place. The best part for me is the 'Y-helling' to enjoy the (modest) skyline of Amsterdam and to write graffiti.
Ex theatre, ex d.i.y squat exhibition space, the W139 has now evolved into an official playground for contemporary art. Most works are made site specifically and are not for sale. This creates an exciting platform for experimentation. This gigantic space; absurd oasis in the middle of the invasion of sex toys, plastic pizzas & weed souvenirs of the Red Light District, is a must see. The openings are legendary and gather all the art kids in town. I use to work here as a host, as a barman, and I even designed their invitations from 2007 to 2008. All of my friends work or exhibited here, and it's one of my regular stops when biking around.
The NewWerktheater is a café-restaurant venue located in Oostelijke Eilanden. Everything has been carefully selected/designed/created by ...,staat, the design studio behind the concept. The coffee beans are from Bonanza Berlin, the beer is made by Noam, and can only be found here in the Netherlands and the artworks are made by designer/artist Eike König. The location also regularly host creative events like the Dutch Art Director Club conferences, photography exhibitions or Creative Mornings.