In August, AGA LAB received a positive advice from the Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, concerning funding for 2025 – 2028.
The AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts) states:
AGA LAB is …
- “a special place where (mainly) Amsterdam artists are supported in the development of their graphic practice”
- “an important link in the chain between creating and presentation in the local art world”
- “AGA LAB first and foremost serves the artist and therefore rarely positions itself on the foreground, which means it has no primary audience function; the creator is the audience “
- “AGA LAB first and foremost serves the artist and therefore rarely positions itself on the foreground, which means it has no primary audience function; the creator is the audience “
And: - “Due to its specific expertise and approach to the graphic craft that AGA LAB has built up over 65 years, the committee believes that AGA LAB is of artistic significance for specific professionals and specialists in the city and in an (inter)national context.”
…that being said, the money has already been distributed and there is nothing left for AGA LAB.
AGA LAB was founded 66 years ago as a studio that is open to everybody. Consistent with that mission is keeping it affordable for every artist. This is a necessary basis for nurturing experiment and new development. Our vision of a diverse and future-proof lab that lives and breathes, where every artist is welcome to use their own imagination, is unfortunately being challenged at the moment.
The decision not to grant structural funding despite a positive advice, means we are unsure of how we will be able to continue to provide a place for artists to experiment, and to develop and create new work – and exchange ideas with international colleagues in the world of printing.
We call upon the municipality of Amsterdam to secure a workspace for the Amsterdam designer, photographer and artist for their artistic development and production, and to work on a professional level in our city.