Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond

About Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond

De Brakke Grond is there for Flemish artists and Dutch art lovers who want to push their boundaries. We initiate and realize programs and collaborations in our home in Amsterdam.

Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond is the expert in the Netherlands for current innovative Flemish art. The organization in the heart of Amsterdam started in 1981 and is financed by the Flemish government. Central to our mission – formalized in 1999 – is to promote the cultural identity of Flanders, to present characteristic developments in the field of art and culture from Flanders and to promote Flemish-Dutch cooperation.

De Brakke Grond has expanded from just a stage to a network organization. This role as a driving force and connector will remain a spearhead in the coming years. At our home in Amsterdam and at other locations in the Netherlands, we initiate and realize programs and collaborations in the field of performing arts, visual arts and music. We always look for, facilitate or create the right ‘context’ for Flemish artists and bring them into contact with the Dutch field. We always look at the artistic relevance of the projects and whether they give the artists a better chance of possible next steps in the Netherlands. De Brakke Grond: place, sparring partner and quality label in one.

De Brakke Grond supports Flemish artists who want to push their boundaries and expand their audience. The aim is for them to gain a solid footing in the Netherlands and to realize a sustainable practice here.

It makes sense to present Flemish art in a related and nearby cultural and language area such as the Netherlands. However, within that context, De Brakke Grond does make its own choices. The focus is on Flemish artists with artistic courage who tell a story that is complementary or distinctive for the Dutch audience and discourse.

“De Brakke Grond no longer only wants to present Flemish culture, but is also actively looking for a connection with the Dutch and international art world. How did that process go? And how can you program distinctively in a world in which Flanders and the Netherlands are looking for their cultural identity and the arts simultaneously function more globally than ever?”