Netherlands Media Art Institute closes end of 2012

04/04/2012

PRESS RELEASE

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.