On June 21, 2019, the new art institute Het HEM will open in Amsterdam. Housed in a former factory, the institute will present highly relevant visual art programming, along with music, performance and dance. The center will focus on public programs and participatory, educational activities.
Accessible Art and Multidisciplinary Programs for Diverse Audiences
Het HEM will make art accessible to diverse audiences, offer multidisciplinary presentations and serve as a soundboard. Reformulating thematic group or solo exhibitions, Het HEM’s program will be divided into seasonal chapters. Each one will be developed in conversation with guests sharing their personal stories, professional expertise and perspectives to expand understanding and enlarge vision.
Het HEM will ask guests to tell a unique story based on their own philosophy, stimulating the audience to explore new directions of thought. By doing so, Het HEM will offer a stage to disciplines such as visual arts, dance, music, light and sound art, theater and film as well as science, politics and life philosophy. Each chapter will attract different audiences and groups, following Het HEM’s goal: to be defined by artists and visitors rather than by the organization.
First Chapter Features Two Social Entrepreneurs With Artistic Worldviews
For Chapter 1, Het HEM has invited two guests who are strongly rooted in Amsterdam, with artistic views that span the world. Deeply rooted in the hip-hop scene, Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt are creative social entrepreneurs, prominent facilitators for art and music in Amsterdam and founders of the street wear brand Patta. Sabajo and Schmidt have become essential role models for a generation of young creatives who are rapidly changing the artistic landscape of Amsterdam and beyond. The opening exhibition not only confirms Het HEM’s commitment to local communities but also creative social entrepreneurs. Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt’s achievements and vision will be presented in a wider international context, with changing narratives.
New Art Institute With Restaurant, Library, Garden, Artist Studios, Hotel and More
In addition to its large-scale exhibition program, Het HEM in Amsterdam will host a restaurant, library, a hi-fi bar, garden, artist studios, newly commissioned site-specific art installation by RAAAF and hotel in the future. Het HEM is located within the Hembrug site, a former 19th-century factory on the border of Amsterdam and Zaandam. The area is currently in a state of transition as the city of Amsterdam steadily expands beyond its borders.