AMSTERDAM.- The team of de Appel and the City of Amsterdam announced that in the new year of 2024 de Appel will move to and be hosted by Tempel Broedplaats, a cultural centre in Amsterdam's Diamantbuurt. The new location will be inaugurated by Touria Melani, Amsterdam's Alderman for Art and Culture in 2024. In the new location de Appel will continue its ongoing cultural projects as well as launch new programmes.

In the Diamantbuurt

De Appel joins the ecosystem of Amsterdam's Diamantbuurt. The neighbourhood is characterised by a diverse composition of both local residents and (cultural) initiatives. Sharing and working with the community is both part of the ongoing programme of exhibitions and art projects of de Appel, as is the ethos of de Appel’s work. The team will continue to engage with the local community through working with schools and different groups, turning de Appel into a place instead of a space.

History

The Tempel building has a rich and multifaceted history. Designed by architects Brinkman and Van der Vlugt and built in 1927, it served as a theosophical temple, synagogue, film house, library and mosque. Now it fulfils again a cultural function and it is a place where artists and cultural practitioners meet and experiment. De Appel looks forward to contributing to this with its own programme, creating new collaborations with artists and creatives as well as cultural organisations and educational initiatives in the neighbourhood.

Farewell to Broedplaats Lely and the Nieuw-West district

Starting at a new location also means that de Appel will sadly leave Broedplaats Lely in Stadsdeel Nieuw-West, where it has been based since 2017. In this district, de Appel had found a home through developing programmes together with schools, local residents and art institutions, learning a lot from them during the process. The city is constantly changing, and that means that as a result of redevelopment, there is less (permanent) space for cultural institutions like de Appel, which increasingly have to relate to temporary leases and uncertain forms of housing. The move to Temple will now ease the housing insecurity for De Appel and is enabling us to settle in the Diamantbuurt on a longer-term base. It saddens the de Appel team to move away from Stadsdeel Nieuw-West but at the same time there is confidence that those relationships that have been built between de Appel and Nieuw-West over the past period are strong and enduring. In addition, we look forward to establishing new connections and collaborations, and towards making a new home in the Diamantbuurt.

Lara Khaldi and Sofia Patat, directors of de Appel: "We are very excited to enter a new phase with de Appel in the Diamantbuurt, where we are hosted by de Tempel and supported by the city of Amsterdam, and where we will become part of a culturally vibrant community.”

Alderman Touria Meliani: "De Appel is an important cultural venue for Amsterdam, as a place for modern art and new talent. In Tempel they can continue working on their special art center for artistic research, experimental exhibitions and programming. I am also excited about this step because it is not easy for cultural institutions to find space in Amsterdam. This is something we are working hard on as a municipality. I am therefore proud that this beautiful cultural institution has now found a long-term home in the Diamantbuurt."