If we can’t agree on much, I think one thing we can agree on is that the saviours of the summer were art spaces. Come torrential rain or heatwave shine, a space that gave us refuge was the museum or gallery. With their air con and leak-proof roofs, they showed us that, no matter the time of year, they are there for us.
As the new season kicks off and your feed fills up with exhibition openings, I’d thought I’d take a moment to highlight some of the lesser-known spaces that caught my eye over the summer.
So, here are some upcoming shows in independent art spaces, project spaces and galleries, some run by artists, some by enthusiasts, and some where it’s not quite clear who runs them, situated in the Netherlands and beyond.
The Netherlands
Tour de Tramhouse at Tramhouse, Amsterdam
Tramhouse has got to be one of my favourite spots in Amsterdam. Tramhouse is an off-space on Surinameplein that, if you blink, you miss – which is exactly what I did on my first visit, biking straight past while waving hands desperately trying to catch my attention.
Used by artists, for artists, it hosts collaborative exhibitions and performances, with an extreme sense of community. It’s a great example of what can be done with the small spaces available across Amsterdam.
You can pick up a word and hold it
Artists: Euan Gubbins, Alice Kasahara, Oliver Offord, Verity Monroe, Freddie Wise
Dates: 4–9 September 2026
Dafni
Artists: Małgorzata Kornacka and William Hawkey
Dates: 11–13 September 2026
I am Daniel Claus
Artists: Iris Vermeulen
Dates: 18–19 September 2026
Spans
Artists: Bas Medik
Dates: 25–26 September 2026
Location: Tramhouse 11, Surinameplein 120, Amsterdam
House of Day, House of Night at Woonhuis, Amsterdam
Fresh meat. The new season of De Ateliers residents has arrived, and that can only mean one thing: the second-years need to mark their territory with a show at Woonhuis.
Baring right of the main entrance and making your way through an inconspicuous gate, you arrive at Woonhuis, where you’ll be greeted by a resident who appears to have been held against their will to scan tickets for the day.
Woonhuis acts as a literal gateway into the lives of residency, something that is usually purposefully kept at arm’s length, but here invites you in. It’s one to keep an eye on, as you might just get to see some of your favourite artists’ work in a small, intimate setting.
Dates: 25 September–31 October 2026
Artists: Anthony Chiou, Blair Lam Hiu Suet, Jette Kelholt, Luīze Nežberte, Matthew Cosslett, Pauline Schey, Salar Marri, Taiyo Shimizu Larenas, Victoria Hyass and Zainab Aldehaimy, Curated by Rezi van Lankveld
Location: Woonhuis, Stadhouderskade 86, Amsterdam
Glut at Bologna, Amsterdam
Bologna is a project space initiated by artist Ivan Cheng in Amsterdam. Since 2017, the space has presented around 80 exhibitions and events, often working with emerging artists and collaborators from across Europe. Now based in Amsterdam Noord, in what has become known as the “Bologna Towers”, the space’s former address is now becoming one of Amsterdam’s newest institutional art spaces: Hartwig Museum. It feels like a fitting, and slightly romantic, continuation of Bologna’s history of giving artists room to experiment.
Artists: Tild Greene & Louis Blue Newby
Dates: 17 September–11 October 2026
Location: Bovenover 341, 1025 JR Amsterdam.
The Nature of Remembering at W139, Amsterdam
One of the undoubtedly better-known spaces on the list, but for good reason, is W139. Since 1979, W139 has functioned not only as an exhibition space, but also as a place for the development and production of works, research and ideas. Situated in the centre of Amsterdam, it is one of the first stops for newcomers to the city and acts as something of a sigh of relief for culture amid its increasingly Dunkin’-Donut-ified surroundings.
Artists: Lawil Karama, Aram Lee, Bart Seng Wen Long, Kaisa Saarinen, Komtouch Napattaloong, Laura Fong Prosper, Michèle Boulogne, Samuel Baidoo and Tin Wilke, initiated by, Lawil Karama
Dates: 4 September–1 November 2026
Location: Warmoesstraat 139, 1012 JB Amsterdam
Spangen in Earlier Times at A Tale of A Tub, Rotterdam
Located in the former washhouse and bathhouse of the Justus van Effencomplex in Spangen, A Tale of A Tub takes its name from the eighteenth-century journalist, writer and translator Justus van Effen, who notably translated Jonathan Swift’s political satire A Tale of a Tub into Dutch for the first time. The name’s connection to the building is fitting for a space that remains closely engaged with its surroundings, working with artists, curators, writers and practitioners from different fields to develop projects that are often rooted in dialogue with the neighbourhood.
Dates: 12 September–25 October 2026
Artists: Tinus and Bep de Does, Guest writer, Yazan Khalili
Location: Justus van Effenstraat 44, Rotterdam, Netherlands 3027 TK
May you read me like a poem at The Crooked Studio, Rotterdam
Another personal favourite is The Crooked Studio. The name paints the picture rather well: a small space just a stone’s throw from Rotterdam Centraal, bare structured, unfinished, almost derelict. This unfiltered approach makes the space one of the most interesting canvases for the work that temporarily occupies it. Led by Rayne Geurtsen and Leon Stoffelen, instead of a regulated program, the studio operates as an open space where artists can apply to show their work.
Dates: 18–27 September 2026 (Special event: Reading by Luca Calderó, 27 September 2026, 15:00)
Artists: Ada M. Patterson, Gamze Öztürk, Jeltje Schuurmans, Luca Calderó and Zela Odessa Palmer, curated by Rayne Geurtsen
Location: Proveniersstraat 9B, 3033 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Macho Mystic Meltdown: Subtracted Anthology at 1646 at Experimental Art Space, Den Haag
1646 is an art space in the heart of The Hague. While its programme often centres on solo exhibitions, allowing for a more in-depth look at individual artistic practices, the space also hosts artist talks, events, publications, dialogues, podcasts and a residency programme. Working with both established artists and those at the beginning of their careers, 1646 is a must-visit for anyone in the Hague.
Dates: 11 September–1 November 2026
Artist: Natasha Tontey
Location: Boekhorststraat 125, The Hague, Netherlands 2512 CN
Presskuchen Tour Vol. 03 at Zorgraum, Amsterdam (and beyond)
Who doesn’t love a touring exhibition? And this one is doing half the work of this article for me!
Presskuchen has been organised by Arvid Jansen and Oliver Bleckmann since 2023, travelling between independent spaces across Germany and the Netherlands. For its third edition, the exhibition makes four stops, making a detour along a German roadtrip to come to Amsterdam in November, bringing together artists at each location.
Leipzig — Bistro 21
Dates: 10–24 September 2026
Artists: Eva Noeske and Manuel Cornelius
Location: Hermann-Liebmann-Straße 88, 04315 Leipzig-Ost, Germany
Frankfurt — Das Gericht
Dates: 10–24 October 2026
Artists: Samuel Ellinghoven and Mustafa Köyneksiz
Location: KONRAD-ADENAUER-STRAßE 15, 60313 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Amsterdam — Zorgraum
Dates: 13–27 November 2026
Artists: Klaartje van Essen, Iris Vermeulen, Stella Oort and Jonathan Doelwijt
Location: Van Linschotenstraat 30 1013 PM Amsterdam
Düsseldorf — Malkasten
Dates: 13–27 April 2027
Artists: Haiqing Wang and Linda Skellington
Location: Künstlerverein Malkasten, Jacobistraße 6a 40211 Düsseldorf
Presskuchen Tour Vol. 03 at Zorgraum, Amsterdam (and beyond)
Who doesn’t love a touring exhibition? And this one is doing half the work of this article for me!
Presskuchen has been organised by Arvid Jansen and Oliver Bleckmann since 2023, travelling between independent spaces across Germany and the Netherlands. For its third edition, the exhibition makes four stops, making a detour along a German roadtrip to come to Amsterdam in November, bringing together artists at each location.
Leipzig — Bistro 21
Dates: 10–24 September 2026
Artists: Eva Noeske and Manuel Cornelius
Location: Hermann-Liebmann-Straße 88, 04315 Leipzig-Ost, Germany
Frankfurt — Das Gericht
Dates: 10–24 October 2026
Artists: Samuel Ellinghoven and Mustafa Köyneksiz
Location: KONRAD-ADENAUER-STRAßE 15, 60313 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Amsterdam — Zorgraum
Dates: 13–27 November 2026
Artists: Klaartje van Essen, Iris Vermeulen, Stella Oort and Jonathan Doelwijt
Location: Van Linschotenstraat 30 1013 PM Amsterdam
Düsseldorf — Malkasten
Dates: 13–27 April 2027
Artists: Haiqing Wang and Linda Skellington
Location: Künstlerverein Malkasten, Jacobistraße 6a 40211 Düsseldorf
This brings me on to our mentions of spaces beyond the Netherlands. For those whose summer is quite not at its end, here are some upcoming exhibitions across Europe that caught our eye.
POLLEN at 90mil, Berlin
Artists: The Node Institute, Spatial Media Lab, Berlin Modular Society, Kollage Kollectiv, and Burre Crew
Dates: 25 September 2026 16:00-04:00
DAS TROJANISCHE DING at 019, Ghent
Artists: Adrien Tirtiaux
Dates: 14 June–27 September 2026
Location: Dok-Noord 5L, 9000 Gent, Belgium
The Time is out of Joint at Paul Calligaro, Paris
Artists: Théodore Parizet,
Dates: 11 September – 24th October
Location: 29 rue des petites écuries, Paris, France 75010
if these walls could talk at Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana
Artists: Krasimira Butseva, Ana Likar, Áron Lődi, Aaron Roth, Niya Tsenkova and Neja Zorzut, curated by: Vasil Vladimirov
Dates: 27 August–24 September 2026
Location: Stari trg 21, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
So far so good at DMW Gallery, Antwerp
Artists: Bram De Jonge
Dates: 5 September–24 October 2026
Location: Koolstraat 15, 2140 Antwerpen, Belgium
Nocturnas at Tender Prospects, Lisbon (in collaboration with No Man’s Art Gallery, Amsterdam)
Artist: Alan Hernández
Dates: 22 August–25 September 2026
Location: Tv. da Paz 17A, 1200-759 Lisboa, Portugal
Solarium at Plicnik Space Initiative, London
Artist: Amélie Mckee, curated by Kollektiv Collective
Dates: 6 November – 19 December 2026
Location: Unit 9, Enclave 50 Resolution Way London SE8 4AL
Merlin James and Édouard Vuillard at Pusher, London
Artists: Merlin James and Édouard Vuillard
Opening: September 24
Location: 64 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, United Kingdom WC2A 3JX
ᴀᴜᴛᴏᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴇ at Stroboskop space, Warsaw
Artists: Domi Depowska, Natalia Kaftan, Michał Matejko, Sebastian Sebulec, curated by, Iza Roko Domi Depowska
Dates: 17–27 September 2026
Location: Siewierska 6, 02-359 Warszawa, Poland
IN PROTEST AND IN CARE & Women Upstairs at Overgaden, Copenhagen
IN PROTEST AND IN CARE
Artists: Kirstine Aarkrog, Panteha Abareshi, Rikke Benborg, Jesse Darling, Julie Falk, Kasper Hesselbjerg, Marie Kølbæk Iversen, Jakob Jakobsen, Derek Jarman/Christopher Robert Jones & Liza Sylvestre, Frida Lisa Carstensen Jersø, Christine Sun Kim & Thomas Mader, Carolyn Lazard, Elisabeth Molin, Bernd Oppl, Alex Dolores Salerno, Victor Vejle, Anna Walther, and Bobbi-Johanne Østervang.
Dates: 29 August–25 October 2026
Women Upstairs
Artist: Bruno Zhu
Dates: 12 September–25 October 2026
