[spectre] (fwd) NIMK Amsterdam, formerly Montevideo, will close down...

[Andreas Broeckmann]

Netherlands Media Art Institute closes end of 2012

http://nimk.nl/eng/netherlands-media-art-institute-closes-end-of-2012

Amsterdam, 3 April, 2012. The Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk) is 
ceasing its activities as at 31 December 2012. The organisation in its 
present form will be terminated as a result of the announcement by the 
Ministry of Culture that the Institute will receive no further financial 
support after 2012. NIMk will of course try and preserve the knowledge 
and experience that it has built up over the past 35 years. With this in 
mind and in consultation with other organisations, NIMk is developing a 
number of plans in order to transfer its knowledge, mandate and 
networks, and thus secure these for the future.

One of the priorities is ensuring the continuation of collecting, 
conservation and distribution of art and technology with which NIMk 
attained its unique position here in the Netherlands and abroad. These 
activities and the unique knowledge and expertise that have been 
accumulated at NIMk over the past years, will be handed over to the new 
foundation 'Formerly known as MonteVideo' (VH MV, working title). The 
internationally acclaimed research projects in the field of conservation 
will also be transferred to this new foundation as at January 2013.
The ambitions of this knowledge centre are big. VH MV wants to 
innovatively draw the widest possible attention to issues of 
sustainability and conservation in the field of e-culture, with art as 
its central focus. This new 'Sustainability Lab', a multidisciplinary, 
open service centre and laboratory for the conservation of art and 
technology, will become a meeting place for today's (aspiring) 
professionals in the field, who wish to work and reflect together from 
artistic, scientific, technical, theoretical and/or practical perspectives.

SMART Project Space in Amsterdam has developed plans for a new institute 
under the name of NASA: New Art Space Amsterdam. This new organisation 
will be entrusted with the experience that NIMk has built up in the 
fields of presentation and education. NASA is the presentation space of 
the future. Experience contemporary art and culture in a continuous 
programming in visual arts, music, live art and film, combined with 
symposiums, discussions, exhibitions, workshops and events. Along with 
the online Creative Learning Programme which runs parallel to all these 
components.
NASA focusses on the production of exhibitions, and of individual works 
on the basis of public–private cooperation, within interrelated and 
challenging programming. NASA offers educational projects in 
collaboration with Rietveld Academy and Sandberg Institute. NASA is home 
to a broad coalition of institutes, initiatives, festivals and 
conferences; a cross-disciplinary programme for a wide audience.

Under the name THX plans have been developed in consultation with STEIM 
towards a completely new centre for image, audio and digital culture in 
The Hague. THX aspires to be a platform for the creative industry: 
network, theatre, presentation and project space, laboratory (living 
labs), concert venue and online hub. THX strives to closely cooperate 
with V2_ Institute for Instable Media in Rotterdam.
In addition to this focus on the public and participation, THX is a 
knowledge centre, production house and educational institution for 
higher and academic education in the fields of art, technology and life 
sciences. Nearer the end of 2012 THX will start off as a project 
organisation, with irregular, nomadic projects. The ambition for the 
long term is to house THX on the Lange Voorhout, in the building by 
Breuer that is now the American Embassy.

There are plans to vacate NIMk's present premises on the Keizersgracht 
in Amsterdam in the course of this year. We will keep you informed of 
all further developments and programming through our website and news 
letter.