For me, one of the highlights of my trip to Amsterdam was a visit to STRAAT, the museum dedicated to graffiti and street art. STRAAT exists in an old shipyard building on the NDSM wharf on the north bank of the Amstel river a short free ferry ride from the Central Station.
Is it still street art when it’s indoors and not on the street, the STRAAT curators think it is and I agree with them, the exhibition space, laid out like an urban environment gives the artists the opportunity to create large-scale pieces, happy in the knowledge that they will remain as they intend without the threat of being spoiled by being painted over or covered by tags etc.
The current exhibition we saw was of more than 150 pieces by more than 130 artists. These pieces were created on-site and almost all are as big as outdoor walls. They also provided the added value of context and information. It was good to see works from many famous artists and to discover new artists whose works impressed me, I enjoyed seeing large-scale works by some of my favourite artists such as Dan Kitchener, Balstrom, Alice Pasquini, Guido Van Helten, Inkie, Kobra, and many others.
The area outside the building can be considered a ‘legal wall’ and there was a lot of good work on display there. All in all, this is a great way to spend a day in Amsterdam, great artwork in an unusual setting with friendly staff who are only too willing to chat about the exhibits, and the cafe was pretty good too.
I will resist the temptation to edit or crop my photographs too much and show them here as I took them, this will help to highlight the scale and layout of STRAAT, I will make the pieces and the artists and when they were created.
Size and Scale of STRAAT
Entrance HallCafe Hall
The lower hall
Cornbread – Start This – 2021Rafael Silks – The Portal – 2018Caratoes – Untitles – 2017Mr June – Cubes 42 -2017Snik – Escape – 2018JanIsDeMan – What do you think the title should be? – 2020Zësar Bahamonte – Reunion – 2017Monkey Bird – Armoire – 2018Wellin & Balstroem – Writers of the lost art – 2016L’Outsider – One second after the big bang – 2018Skount – A dream, the key to something deeper – 2020Daan Rietbergen – Nespor G – 2020Nase – Night life – 2017Bims – Point of Calm – 2018Sokar Uno – Hiobsbotschaft – 2016Sidney Waerts – TOODAY – out of focus 2018Dilk – True Love – 2021Tellas – Untitled – 2021Kevin Ledo – Realizing infinity – 2017Dotsy -Kings Spray – 2015Jim Vision – Seismic Shift – 2015Inkie – Bardotism – 2016Ever – Stileven – 2018Helen Proctor – Les Alpilles – mountain landscape – 2020TWOONE – Zilvermeeuw en wilde plant – 2018Nuno Viegas – Fire extinguisher – 2018Daze – Riot in Times Square – 2017Dan Kitchener – Untitled – 2017SWOK – You wanna try?! – 2018OX-Alien – Blue aliens – 2015Alex Senna – Family on a bike – 2017Zurik – Into the eyes – 2021Treze – Wild – 2017Beyond – Beyond in blue – 2021Monkey Bird – Louis / Edouard – Jeu de société 2018Dagoe – Still life with poffertjes – 2019Morcky – La Deriva – 2017Alaniz – Lack of sense of emergency – 2016Guitar y Banjo – Far from home – Home is where the hatred is – 2016Vyal One – Our most precious gift – 2016INO -Available 4 rent- 2017Elmar Karla – The secret life of Medusa – 2016Wayne Horse – Das grosse Fest – 2017Royyal Dog – Encourages – 2017Clandestinos – Bruno Smoky / Shalak Attack – Exodus – 2017Judith de Leeuw (JDL) – Renovate – 2022Dale Grimshaw – Pride and joy – 2017Taquen – Movement as a language – 2020Apitatán – Untitled – 2018Cranio – Untitled – 2017Cranio – Amazônia house; a vida com “Wi-Fi Spirit”, ritual na caverna – 2016Li-Hill – Severed Visions – 2018Vegan Flava – A layer of soil, an ecology for an eternity – 2018Zenk One – Same view, different window -2021Alice Pasquini – Electra – 2017Ben Slow – It is what it is – 2018Karski & Beyond – Untitled – 2019Buff Monster – Melty harmony #4 – 2018Lean Frizzera – Giuseppe Dynamo – 2016Pez – Happy connections – 2018Bruno Smoky – The dancing fish – 2017Mark Gmehling – All in check – 2016Oz Montania – Lara – 2017Chris Dyer – Shamanic journey – 2017Brigada Ramona Parra – El rey que ilumina los pueblos del mundo – 2015Farid Rueda – Theft and love – 2018Mateus Bailon – Universo em expansão – 2017Entes – La contemplacion – 2018Gleo – Sinister hand – 2017Bier en Brood – Pareidolia Ascent- 2020Sokar Uno – Generation – 2017Wasted Rita – I forgot to mention millionairely – I just invented the word – paid – 2021
Fin DAC – Yuansu – 2017Bounce – Feeling Jumpy – 2016Bartkore – My style has no father – 2017Millo – untitled – 2017Welin – Untitled – 2018DavidL – Bob is Crazy! – 2021Klaas Lageweg – Raw Beauty – 2017Davor – Even Flow – 2016Phibs – Untitled – 2016Osch David vs Goliath – 2016Jeffrey Cheung – Dance – 2018A squid called Sebastian – Hunter – Hunted -2017Pso Man – Fallin’ apart – 2017Eddie Colla – The residue of arrogance – 2017Kram – Life – 2016FAKE – Super Nurse – 2020Nasca Uno – Untitled – 2017Tymon de Laat – Cubana contemporanea – 2020Sipros – The big ears old school dolls – 2017Pure Evil – Untitled – 2021Tankpetrol – Old rocking chair – 2017Nasca Uno – My spirits, my friends – 2020Jenny Sharaf – Untitled – 2019Guido de Boer – Untitled – 2020Joren Joshua – Break – 2020Erin Yoshi – Wisdom Keeper – 2016Bijdevleet – Nothing is Original – 2020
The Upper Level
Please excuse the quality of some of these images, I wish there was access to a cherry picker that day.
Milu Correch – Gloden Coin – 2015Carl Kenz – Yin & Yang – 2020Joram Roukes – Anatomical study – 2020Paola Delfin – Connection *2 (Motion) – 2016Ekundayo – The weight of transformation – 2017Steve Locatelli – SKL 16 – 2016Malakkai – The trip we don’t want to do – 2016Alex Face – A win-win situation – 2017Bonzai – One Liquid Chrome – 2016Binho Ribeiro – Amsterdam floating dreams – 2018Seyb – Pink Whale – 2016Uno Nueve – Mantas Cósmicas – 2017Cix -My Death Dream – 2017David Walker – Untitles – 2017EOIN – Untitled Fire – 2016Dvate – Bluey – 2017Dourone – 1+1=3 – 2015DERM – DERM’s roadkill – 2017Astro – Perpetual lozenge – 2017Nomad Clan – XXX – 2017Phibs – Untitled – 2016Vesod – Appollo – 2017Adele Renault – Gutter Paradise – 2016Kool Koor – Past present past – 2016Guido van Helten – Untitled – 2017Nils Westergard – Meredith(Stare) – 2016
Jim's travels 