“It was an obvious development really. This time we knew we needed a stronger base to remain in touch with both the artistic community and the public. The Internet still has that unregulated, slightly anarchistic feel. You can use it as you want. And it’s that essence that we’re trying to develop. The work you see on our video channel has not only been sourced from an incredible amount of work from our archive but is also available in specially curated collections. We really want to choose content for the audience and definitely not just create a portal type affair. The plan is also to provide space on the server for artists we want to support.. Ultimately it will be like a reflection of the physical space we occupy – workspaces, SMART projects and curated collections. We want the technology to act as a facilitator and generate a video-based contemporary art scene utilising the public domain of the Internet. Hopefully the SMART video server will be good for Amsterdam because it brings together it’s various strong communities and acts as a catalyst. We’re looking to initially start by providing server space to about 200 artists.”

So for the short term, SMART’s days are numbered in its current beautiful condemned home but in the long term things are looking very good indeed for the Amsterdam based foundation. With a new building almost signed and sealed, they will not be forced to give-up their physical identity and substitute it for the virtual one. So most probably the two identities will merge into one on and off-line contemporary art space and that really is a very exiting prospect for the future.

SMART Project Space
Address: 20 Constantijn Huygenstraat, 1054 EW Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 427 5951
https://www.smartprojectspace.net