Vision

Buro Stedelijk is a hybrid art space that celebrates community and encourages experiment and boundary-pushing art. As a decentralized observatory, it is attentive to community needs and promotes artistic expression. By fostering collaboration between artists, communities, and institutions, Buro Stedelijk aims to inspire new perspectives and active civic participation.

A place where curators, artists and other makers have the freedom to create and present new work which will give fresh impetus to Amsterdam.

In December 2022, Rita Ouédraogo and Azu Nwagbogu collaboratively conceptualized the operating framework of Buro Stedelijk. During the initial months, Azu contributed to the early vision, while Rita established the foundational structure and branding of Buro Stedelijk as a network with both strong local and global reach.

From 2023 onward, Rita Ouédraogo developed and steered Buro Stedelijk through its formative years until the end of 2025. Together with Project Manager Niels Staats, she shaped an independent platform that operates as autonomously as possible within the museum. Under her guidance, the curatorial philosophy centered on experimentation and forging connections across diverse disciplines, consistently pushing boundaries and re-evaluating ideas.

From March 2026, a new curator will guide Buro Stedelijk into its next chapter.

The visionary framework established by the founding curators resulted in a dynamic institutional structure. Any activity—be it exhibitions, talks, symposiums, essays, or performances—is considered a “manifestation”. Any collaborator is seen as a vital contributor, helping to shape the essence of Buro Stedelijk. The founding curators purposefully avoided rigid distinctions between exhibitions and essays, choosing instead to treat each project with equal significance. Buro consistently develops innovative and forward-thinking manifestations that engage with pertinent and contemporary themes in diverse formats.

Buro Stedelijk, an initiative by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, features a central ‘project’ space located within the museum premises. Manifestations unfold not only in the Buro Stedelijk Central Space but also extend to the Studio Space and elsewhere in Amsterdam and beyond (Offsite), catering primarily to a national audience while always considering Amsterdam’s international connections.