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EDITORIAL CONTENTS THE BIGGER THE BETTER When we started to discuss which way Our team went to the ‘slangenpanden’, home we wanted to go with our blogazine, we to the famous and last existing squatters in knew immediately that we wanted to focus Amsterdam, but we also zoomed in on the on Amsterdam. We decided this not only Albert Heijn versus Albert Cuyp competition. because Amsterdam is the most famous city In this blogazine you’ll find photo essays of of the Netherlands, but also because it has small guys competing the big ones. You’ll significant ties to critical urbanism. When we read about similarities, differences but also THE STORY OF SQUATTING were thinking of a city that goes along with about things that might benefit Amsterdam to 4 the themes of infrastructure, gentrification, invest in to be even more successful in the and urbanity that tend to encompass critical future. urbanism, Amsterdam was the first place that popped into our heads. I think this goes to I think our editorial team did a great job show that secretly, even though our editorial shooting, filming and writing about this team consists of five different nationalities, particular, and, in my opinion, very interesting we all do have a little (or BIG) crush on subject. In name of the whole team, we hope ALBERT HEIJN VS ALBERT CUYP Amsterdam. you’ll have as much fun reading and watching our content as we did creating it. 10 When we think of Amsterdam, some of us might think about a big city, with a sizeable So I guess all that is left is to proudly present number of people living there and a lot of David vs. Goliath: Competing with the big large famous companies and shops in it. I on guys. the other hand, think of small exclusive shops in the nine streets and second hand markets. Enjoy! IS AMSTERDAM LOOSING ITS But how do both sides of this large contrast UNDERGROUND SCENE? exist and flourish in Amsterdam? How Anouk Slot are those small vintage shops in the nine 22 Editor in chief streets competing with the big stores in the Kalverstraat? How do the small individual food stalls in Albert Cuyp Market compete with a chain supermarket such as Albert Heijn? And what about the music scene in Amsterdam, how is the underground scene competing with the big guys? Or even, does Amsterdam still A SMALL LOOK INTO AN UNDERGROUND have an underground scene at all? Can one survive without the other? Or are all of the TRAVELLING ART EXHIBITION above mentioned ‘small’ competitors already 28 too mainstream to still call them small or disadvantaged? We dived right into it and tried to find answers to all of these David vs. Goliath questions. EDITOR IN CHIEF ART DIRECTION MELANIE HAZENBERG RICK LUGTENBERG ANOUK SLOT LUKAS WALTER MERIJN KRAMER IRA HOEFSMID DE MAAGD EN DE LEEUW MELANIE HAZENBERG RICK LUGTENBERG NOELLE BATELAAN 38 EDITOR DORRI MANG REPORTERS PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEO TUGCE DURMUS KIM VERCAMMEN THE STORY OF SQUATTING FEATURE STORY DAVID VS GOLIATH 1983; the year when squatting began By: Tugce Durmus & Melanie Hazenberg It is 1983; the year when Michael Jackson dominates the Billboard Charts, Western political leaders still wear brown suits and empty houses dominate The Netherlands. Especially in the city of Amsterdam, there are more empty houses than there are occupied ones. The big house behind the Dam Square on Spuistraat 199 is one of these famous empty buildings. Unfortunately in 1983, the government decided there could no longer be any more empty houses. Despite this, a few groups of creative people squatted the building on Spuistraat 199 and made it into their own creative home. De Slang Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Spuistraat De Slang is the official name of Amsterdam. 199, or De Slang, was of the yellow four-story Unfortunately, they known as an artistic building located at Spuistraat had to leave. But building recognized by its 199 in the Tabak row. This the government distinguishable snake mural. building, which eventually offered all of them Not only was it a famous became the Snakehouse, other places to live”. building in Amsterdam, but was one of the most also a hub for creativity: famous buildings occupied the place to be if you were by squatters in 1983. The "A snake as wall an aspiring artist. Because Tabak row is a cluster of painting means that of the huge snake mural squats running all the decorating the side of the way down this street. The the snake surrounds building, Spuistraat 199 Snakehouse rapidly shaped quickly earned the nickname, into a welcoming hotspot the building and “The Snakehouse”. of creativity for the ten will defend it for Inspiration covered the walls, residents who lived there. and artists from all over the They created an exhibition everything that will Netherlands flocked to it. place on the ground-floor and invited people to visit happen“ Fast forward to 2016. Noisy their film nights and theatre sounds, less people and performances. Jan Visser only a few tourists walk has been a neighbour to De by, giving you the feeling Slang for the last 40 years. that Spuistraat 199 is no His comment was simple. longer one of the most He stated, “the squatters budding culture buildings were always nice and open- of Amsterdam. In fact, the minded. It was really great Snakehouse has all but that Spuistraat 199 could dissapeared. be the cultural hotspot 6 7 DAVID VS GOLIATH The artists of the Snakehouse The artists of the necessary to go back to going to the police to inform that period they also had to Snakehouse Jacques van the beginning: the 1960’s. them that they were going to stop the restoration once, Heuven, a famous Dutch Economic crisis had hit be living there. Afterwards, because they found something painter, was one of the first Amsterdam, and conditions the police would come for an really old, I think it was a squatters. There were many became increasingly inspection. It was only if the bakery . The archaeologists artists in the building similar worsened. By the 1980’s, the owner of the building had an had to come to check the to him. They used the building shortage of accommodations actual plan such as restoring or object. That was really as a living and a working had become enormous. renting, that the squatters had interesting. Now they are still space. The Snakehouse Large amounts people to leave. In the past, owners of building the apartments and I was also the perfect place to were displaced and had the Snakehouse tried to kick hope they will stay forever so hold art exhibitions, making it troubles finding places to live. out the squatters by acting on there are no longer problems possible for visitors to come Ironically, there were many this legal procedure, but they with this building”. by and see what the artists unused buildings left to rot, could not show the real proof had made. Another of the first so people decided to move or an actual plan for action, so Future squatters was Guy Pinhas, into these buildings. De Slang squatters won out the right to who was a photographer quickly became one of the remain. But in 2010, everything Nowadays, De Key, which is and a musician. Guy often most famous buildings to be changed. Squatting became a social housing company, gave photo exhibitions in squatted in during this period. illegal in The Netherlands. is the owner of the whole the Snakehouse in order Jan Visser remembers, “in block around Spuistraat and to make his work visible to the 1980’s squatters came to Wijdesteeg. The company the rest of the country, and the snakehouse and decided Evacuation period wants to construct luxury was incredibly successful. to live in this house. I think apartments, shops, office- In the same fashion, Patries living in the snakehouse was The family de Graaf has been spaces and private parking. van Elsen painted the iconic the right thing to do. In this selling coins in the street Sadly, soon all that remains of snake on the side of the way they could have a proper behind Spuistraat since the De Slang will only be what you building, gaining prominence, place to live”. Since then, 1970’s. They saw everything can see in archives, pictures and in a way, doing her best more than 20,000 people that happened during that time. and stories. to protect the artist colony squatted in buildings across “When the squatters had to go from what unbeknownst to Amsterdam. The movement out there were a lot of protests her, was about to unfold. had been increasingly growing and demonstrations. It was "“The government offered all For Patries, “the symbol of since the 1960’s as an attempt a mess. Most of the time the of them other places to live“ a snake is creativity and to dissipate the housing squatters listened to the police freedom. A snake as a wall shortage. According to Visser, and went out of the building, painting means that the snake embarrassingly, “there were but sometimes they didn’t surrounds the building and will a lot of queues of homeless listen and the clashes between De Slangenpand is defend it for everything that people whilst houses were the police and the squatters now under construction. will happen”. boarded up”. began. It was a big mess Nowadays it looks like Up until recently, squatters during the evacuation period”. this instead of a beautiful were allowed to stay if the The coin sellers continued, building.