Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bringing a neighborhood market to life
The Project
Amsterdam’s Asphalt Art Initiative project, “Surround Sound,” was designed to build connections between the city’s vibrant street art community and residents in the Nieuw-West district, a mixed-income area in the far west of the city with a diverse immigrant population. A unique partnership between the central city district government, Nieuw-West, the Street Art Museum Amsterdam and the Spanish City-Designated Artist Kenor, the project brings bright splashes of color to benches, planters, and portions of the sidewalk near the vibrant local marketplace at Plein 40-45, drawing customers on market days and enlivening the neighborhood for residents year-round. The “Surround Sound” design was later adapted into a design scheme for the global cities summit Bloomberg CityLab held in Amsterdam in October 2022.
Asphalt Art Is Revitalizing This Amsterdam Neighborhood
“I hope that our artwork will really connect everybody. It’s a showstopper that makes you think about your surrounding environment and hopefully, eventually, brings you closer to a place where you live, so you become, not a consumer, but an actual member of the community”
Anna Stolyarova, Director, Street Art Museum Amsterdam
Use the slider to see the transformation
For inspiration and tips for the creation of art on roadways and public places, download the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide which features successful plaza and roadway art activations around the world, as well as key steps for developing such projects.
