Her I enjoy the quit and concentrated atmosphere. I go to the library if I need some new input or just want to work somewhere else than in my studio. You can also just go there to relax at one of the beautiful spots in the building. Or have some food at the top floor with a beautiful view over Amsterdam.
The city's biggest flea market is hosted the first weekend of each month in and around a gigantic warehouse in the industrial area of NDSM in Amsterdam Noord. I love to snuff around the hundreds of stalls to find unusual props. Taking the boat to cross the IJ and leaving the old centre behind is very refreshing. Make sure to also have a drink in Noorderlicht while the sun sets.
One of the few professional hardware stores in the city centre of Amsterdam with a great knowledgable staff. Whatever you’re building problem, they have the answer for you, both in advice and in material solutions. I just really love hanging out there. For me it’s one of the best places to get inspiration from. When building a set, I usually go there with a vague idea of what I want to make and then fill in the details by looking at the materials they have.
It's a very small museum in the Hermitage about art made by outsiders. It's also known as 'Art Brut', a name given to it in 1972 by French artist Jean Dubuffet. It simply means that it is art made by people that don't fit in the normal life structure that humans suppose to have. Which can mean that the art is made by people who are in jail, who are ill, have a mental dissability or another way of not fitting into the community. The exhibitions are quite small, so it takes you just around an hour. And the hermitage has a nice canal view.