Where curious works:
Interview with Árpád from A Lab
It’s typical Amsterdam weather, rain pounding on the windows, as I sit in the warm environment of A Lab. It’s a large building of around 5000 square metres, four floors, and forty labs, located in Amsterdam-Noord, just a short walk from the ferry. This space is provided to a community of people who are curious and willing to learn and contribute to society. As their slogan states, it is a place “where curious works.” A Lab is a proud member of the AA collective and organises many exciting events for the public. Whereas in different places I’d pass unnoticed, in A Lab’s corridors I receive kind smiles and greetings.
I sit at a large circular table in an open office across from Árpád Gerecsey. Árpád has been the director of A Lab for 11 years already and has enthusiastically contributed to the organisation since its beginnings. Today, I am the curious one and I ask Árpád to share the values and origin story of A Lab.
B: How was A Lab created?
Á: This whole area was owned by Shell. The building we are in was a research facility. At one point, Shell wanted to get rid of it and it was taken over by squatters. After a while, it was sold to the city. Instead of having squatters in there, the city started renting it out at very low prices to artists. Because this building was so big, it was not rented out to one artist. Also, it was proposed that it’s not only for the creatives themselves, but for the whole value chain of the creative industry.
We have been here for 12 years now. We have 50% creatives in the building and the other 50% are people working on sustainability or social impact purposes. So, 100% of the building is impact-driven. There are about 100 companies and 400 people to solve societal issues, form opinions, etc.
B: What is the purpose of A Lab and how do you achieve it?
Á: Our purpose is to support impact makers and we do that in a number of ways. First of all, we offer affordable workplaces. We also have several event spaces. You can use these, for example, if you want a temporary studio for a week, or you want to show your documentary that you’ve just made.
Then, we organise a number of programs. One is called “Curious About…,” which we do twice a year. It is a festival where we explore subjects in society that seem very far away at the moment but have a huge chance of becoming a worldwide topic within the next five years. In November, we’ll discuss “The Body as the Last Frontier,” which will focus on where does our body stop and start, since we have been doing alterations to our bodies, for example with pacemakers, new knees, or hearing aids. Also, our Cult Program invites experimental performing artists for either a one-night event or a multiple week residency. This allows them to research new directions and work with curators from their industry to bring try-outs to new audiences.
These were the content-driven programs and then we have social programs for bringing both the community and the neighbourhood together. This can be through our annual swimming contest in the water next door, or the Christmas party, or the lab crawl, etc. At the same time, we are constantly encouraging the members of our community to bring their own activities forward.
B: How can someone become a member? Is there anything they need to have?
Á: The only thing you need is talent. We are looking for people that want to have an effect on society by doing something different. So, you tell us you’re interested in coming and tell us about yourself. Who are you? What are you doing? What do you think a membership of this community would bring you? What could you bring to the community? Then, we have a talk. Once we both agree this might be a good match, we’ll need to place you. You’ll be put on to the waiting list. The waiting list is not first in - first out, because we are looking for the “best fit.”
B: What kind of space do people work in?
Á: You can either have your organisation in one lab, which is happening for a few companies. We also have mixed labs where you sit with one or more organisations together, which also improves collaboration among members. And then we have the work hotel where you just walk in and find a place. Finally, you have the option to rent a space for a meeting or a performance.
B: How much money does it cost to be a part of A Lab?
Á: If you come here, you don’t pay rent, we don’t do that. You become a member. A membership for the work hotel starts at around 115 euros a month, and after the first three months, it’s 170. Or you can take a fixed desk membership, which costs, depending on where it is in the building, between 225 euros and 300 euros a month. So, you have a broad range of options. And, if you just want something for an hour, the cheapest room is around 15 euros.
B: What kind of support do your members get?
Á: Our main focus is to connect you to others.
The first thing we’re going to do is to help you get onboarded. We actively help you to contact other people. For everybody new in the building, we find a buddy, and they will introduce you to others. You also have access to all the programs. For example, in the next months, there’s a series of concerts every Friday night with an incredible jazz trio downstairs. Tonight, there’s a premiere of a movie. This is all for free.
Then, we have a chat with you or your organisation regularly. How’s it going? How can we help you achieve your goals? Is that by connecting you to people? Is it by helping you find funding? Is it by helping you organise an event?
B: How long do members usually stay?
Á: We are aiming for about 15% new people every year. That means, your average stay is six to seven years. By that time, the organisations either grow or they die. And if they’re just solid, then it depends very much on what they’re doing. We might still ask you to leave after a number of years, because it’s time for other people to use the space. After that you can become an alumnus and stay connected. You’re always invited.
B: What is your vision towards future?
Á: We want to continue focusing on creating connections. Last year, we started something called collectives, which enable members to connect through different topics. We have a garden collective, a sustainability collective, a Christmas collective, which organises the annual party, an architectural collective, because there’s a lot of building going on in this place, an entrepreneurial collective, and a clothing collective, where you can swap clothes.
Moreover, we work closely with the city to help develop the neighbourhood. This is the fastest growing area of Amsterdam. It will have another 50% of population growth in the next 10 or 15 years with all types of issues, from gentrification issues, poverty issues, etc. We have a lot of people in the building who can help out there. We are focusing on programming sports and an enjoyable infrastructure. We want to keep it safe, happy, healthy, and connected. It’s a big project for the next five years, hopefully ending with putting the original swimming pool that was here 100 years ago back in the water. That would be, for me, the cream of the cake.
For those of you who are curious about how technology changes us as a human being, there’s the next exciting event organised by A Lab. This will be the 6th of the “Curious About…” series and will take place on the 5th of November. Information about this event or other upcoming events can be found on www.a-lab.nl together with intriguing articles and stories of the members.
You can also check the A Lab page on Instagram to see new updates or open events.