Vision

Buro Stedelijk is a hybrid art space that celebrates community and encourages experiment and boundary-pushing art. As a decentralized observatory, it is attentive to community needs and promotes artistic expression. By fostering collaboration between artists, communities, and institutions, Buro Stedelijk aims to inspire new perspectives and active civic participation.

A place where curators, artists and other makers have the freedom to create and present new work which will give fresh impetus to Amsterdam.

Rita Ouédraogo and Azu Nwagbogu, the visionary curators behind Buro, not only curate all the manifestations but also collaboratively conceptualized the operating framework  of Buro Stedelijk. Teaming up with Project Manager Niels Staats, they are shaping an independent platform that operates autonomously within the museum. Their curatorial philosophy revolves around experimentation and forging connections across diverse disciplines. Consistently, they delve into the ongoing reevaluation of their ideas, pushing boundaries to refine not only their own thinking but also that of others.

The umbrella term ‘manifestations’ is utilized to encompass all projects initiated by Buro. The founding curators purposefully avoid rigid distinctions between exhibitions and essays, choosing instead to treat each project with equal significance. Buro consistently develops innovative and forward-thinking manifestations that engage with pertinent and contemporary themes in diverse formats.

Buro Stedelijk, an initiative by the Stedelijk Museum, features a central ‘project’ space located within the museum premises. Manifestations unfold not only in the central space but also extend to the Studio Space and Offside, catering primarily to a national audience while also reaching an international one.