Spatial Encounters #3: Culture Walk
Moving from one site to another, participants will hear directly from cultural practitioners about their approaches: how exhibition design, curatorial strategies, and programming connect art to real life, engage audiences with social issues, and open space for public dialogue.
We begin at W139 at 16:00, where Margarita Osipian, part of the space’s Artistic Team, will introduce the space—a historic experimental, collective art venue and cultural haven in an increasingly gentrified area of the city center.
At 17:00 we head to Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest building hosting contemporary art exclusively made for its space. There, curator Marianna van der Zwaag will guide us through the exhibition and expand on the space’s curatorial approach.
We end the afternoon at VOX-POP for a communal soup dinner by Toko Nani and a slow conversation about what we see and think about art and culture in De Wallen and beyond.
Please note: you will need an admission ticket to visit the Oude Kerk. You must purchase this ticket yourself (on site). Admission is free with a Museum Card or ICOM card.
Programme
16.00 - 16.45 — W139 with Margarita Osipian
16.55 - 17.40 — Oude Kerk with Marianna van der Zwaag
17.50 - 19.00 — Soup & slow art talk at VOX-POP
Speakers
About W139
W139 is an artist-driven production and presentation space for contemporary art in central Amsterdam. Founded in 1979, when artists squatted the building, it has remained embedded in an engaged, intergenerational community of makers. W139 prioritises experimentation, offering artists room to take risks and develop urgent, ambitious projects. Located in an increasingly gentrified area, it provides a rare, accessible stage for experimental art in the city centre. W139's programmes feature large-scale exhibitions, public events, and projects developed with a diverse group of artists, including through open calls.
