Mediamatic is an Amsterdam art centre with a unique focus: the intersection of art, nature, and biotechnology. Founded in 1983, it operates from a waterfront site near Amsterdam Centraal with greenhouses, studio spaces, a restaurant, and a terrace overlooking the water. The programming runs around 40 presentations, 25 workshops, and 3 exhibitions a year, covering territory that no other Amsterdam institution addresses.
Workshop topics include growing edible mushrooms, making natural perfume, aquaponics systems, sustainable food design, fermentation, and bioplastics. Exhibitions tackle similar territory in visual and experiential form. The neo-futurist dinner series creates unusual combinations of scientific ideas and communal eating. The overall effect is of a place that takes seriously the idea that art and science should not be separated.
Mediamatic is one of the few Amsterdam cultural institutions with a fully functioning greenhouse as part of its programme. The restaurant uses produce grown on site and from partner urban farms. The waterfront terrace is one of the more unusual outdoor spaces in the city centre. Events are listed on the website and workshops book up quickly.
