WORDS BY MINIMAL_MYSTIC
FREESPACE CULTURAL HAVEN : ADM
Hidden somewhere beneath the collective city subconscious,beyond the shadow of the liminal spaces and places we think of as boundaries, there lie the antithesis to the system of dependence and loss of sovereignty. These are ‘Free Havens’ or ‘Cultural FreeSpaces’. Beyond the fringe, where communities, projects and action groups gather, connect, experiment and commune towards common purpose and under autonomous self governance. FreeSpaces, where freedom is the currency and expression of the self is not a thing to explain or make apologies for.
Anarchy in Action.
Democracy(direct) in Action
Free thought havens for those rebels who wish to see themselves contribute as little as possible to the ‘System’ and find-force a new and different set of social codes, and in this way clear the pathway towards whatever our next governance systems will be, whether its completely decentralized, or city states or on continental nodes.
“A free cultural space is a topographically open space, whether located in a landscape or structure, a Freiraum (German: “free space”) that sustains countercultural values and traditions, such as happenings, pop-up festivals, gatherings and squatting movements (Waalwijk, 2016)”
“Free space is the breathing space of the city. Free space actually questions the applicable principles. It shows unseen possibilities and makes social unusual practices visible. It is about the space in your head, a space without logos, slogans or dull revenue models. An allotment garden is a green making space, organized collectively. A free-space is an active living workplace with an alternative program. An experimental place for new forms of collaboration and personal responsibility. The practice of free-space in the city shows that alternatives are possible. That change is possible ”
History is rich with tales of the Zapatista (RATM’s ‘People of the Sun’), ‘FreeTown’ Christiania in Denmark (see how the self governance system works), and the squat culture of Berlin , from La ZAD (read about the successful defence of land and permanent autonomous community ) to Ruikgoord . These spaces created generational frameworks, maintained hope in crumbling times and inspired generations of dreamers and defenders, to be themselves in a conforming society. ADM, one of the more renowned squats of Amsterdam, stands among these giants, having been host to hundreds of artists, families, dreamers and healers all finding a place in the crazy world that, for them at least, made perfect sense. Creating a Utopia
“These venues offer prospective spaces for experimentation, selfdiscovery
and different forms of learning/re-skilling, which in turn provide inspirational models
to learn from as artists, cultural workers, or art educators committed to imagining micro-utopias
through politically and socially engaged art. Free cultural spaces that emerge from autonomous
movements offer frameworks for collective creativity, carving out spaces for freedom of
expression.As cities face crucial issues directly related to gentrification, reduction of public or
free spaces, and an increase in state and corporate surveillance and control, how can artists
cultivate strategies for freedom of expression through autonomous ways of living and working?(Ultimately, the question being asked is..)
What is the relationship between autonomous spaces, communalising and freedom of
expression?”
I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks in ADM in the summer of 2018, where I got to step beyond the rhetoric and learn the rhythm of the life there. I was there to fix a vehicle (first time for everything, right?) and got to use the infamous RoboDock space (read about RoboDock and the creative response to gentrification that was ADM)
ADM was a special place in the world, situated on the outskirts of Amsterdam in the industrial harbour area north of the city center. It was abandoned and subsequently squatted in the 90s. Around the families and artisans that gathered there since then, the space became a haven for free -thinkers, a laboratory for the metal- and fire-artists that congregated, gardeners and anarchists living with children and the circus folk. The ADM space was known to be a collection point for creators to make and shape beyond the need for capital as the incentive, as well as providing a base for the struggles against gentrification
Besides the amazing sculptures, murals, mutant vehicles and amazing architecture, the space has hosted festivals, parties, symposiums, concerts and every other kind of communalisation. The space became synonymous with the advancement of the circus theme, using robotics and fire displays. The freedom held in place through that front gate made space for so many to meet, mingle, make and master artforms, the most common being the art of being free.
Check out Lora’s video that explores some of the history of ADM, and documents the arrival of the Ship of Fools project for ADM’s birthday party
I found a small knit community defiant and proud of the life they had defended for so long. For them, ADM was the dream manifested, not an investment in some theoretical future. Magic is of course always in the moment, and my time at ADM was filled with magical moments and people, mostly highly skilled and compensated artists and artisans who preferred to live in the shadows of Society, according to their own rules and in the belief that it is always possible and indeed necessary, to write another story.
I chatted to some of the residents, many of them key people who helped establish and defend the space, competent people and crazy people, living a not always comfortable life yet being free or having some freedom and autonomy. Though we were all unaware of what would unfold in the coming 6 months, we spoke candidly about the threat of eviction, what they planned to do, and what had made ADM such a significant occupied space for so many. These people had the bravery of an idiot, drawing a line and defending what they loved, living their life according to their individual beat, yet marching together as one community. They proved, over decades, that this was not only possible, it could provide the container for genius and expression to emerge as a natural consequence.
Stress and challenges often galvanize communities, yet in ADM there’s two sides to that coin. Firstly, the daily life has a cloud of potential violence and the impending eviction looming overhead. Like many other zones to be defended ( Hambi Forst and the resistance treehouses is a very viral example), this tension dominates and intoxicates. And still, the ADM crew has a long history of defending and winning, the flagship being the 1998 demolition aborted. A huge machine started demolishing part of the main building while there were people still inside, and the ADM home crew ran to shut down the machine and eject the eviction team.
That building was lovely re-crafted and reoccupied, and became one of the central spaces of ADM, with an amazing metal tree growing out of the wounds to symbolize the tenacity of the human spirit of resistance and the search for justice. In so many ways, this tree represented the gutsy and grimy grasp that this community had on the psyche of Amsterdam. Metal, forged in fire,shaped and strong, conductive, reflective, fragile and functional, a bold statement to the world that out of the ashes of repression, beauty can and does emerge.
I didn’t realise that last time I closed the front gate, that that would be the last time I would be there. Casting back, I’m filled with gratitude for having spent some time at such a legendary space, and grateful to all those people who never gave up, who innovated and fought to save one space, as a means to secure freedom for all. My time at ADM brought me new skills, a new sense of hope and a firmer belief that when people come together as sovereign individuals and are empowered, impossible is nothing!!!
In the dark of winter they finally arrived. The eviction of ADM (full timeline of eviction : https://www.indymedia.nl/node/45111 ).
Like a thief in the night, the forces of greed and violence slipped behind the fences of one of these last Cultural Free Spaces in Amsterdam. Ignoring even a UN recommendation, the community of ADM in Westpoort, north of Amsterdam, was swiftly and violently evicted from their homes, many not having enough time to take out their equipment and possessions. One of the last of the truly FreeSpaces had its gates closed, and with that closes a story of resistance and growth and magic and mystery and wonder.
The people of ADM were given a ‘deal they couldn’t refuse’, which was actually a pretty shitty deal, if one could call it that :
To ease the pain the council is offering the current ADMers a 2 ha piece of polluted wasteland beside the A10 motorway in the north of Amsterdam, for the duration of only two years. With this land come many restrictions: no more cultural events or festivals, very little space to work and no communal or public spaces. There is not enough room for even half the ADMers, and where are all the ships supposed to go? The ADM forest, habitat for wild animals and rare species will not be relocated…
https://en.squat.net/2018/10/07/amsterdam-adm-news-update/
Amsterdam’s oldest and most well known squat was in the making for decades, as they stood against the Real Estate Mafia to defend this space. Still, the eviction force moved quickly, and in a few days had torn down what had taken years of mischievous magic to craft. The FreeSpaces are shrinking around Amsterdam and the world, and with ADM being evicted and flattened, a powerful message has been sent out to other radical freespaces as well. Sustained post-capitalism will eat Anything and Everything
Around the world we see the closing down of these spaces, true spaces of experimentation and authenticity, where value can be seen for itself and community can see for itself, and figure things out for itself. Like other FreeSpaces such as Can MasDeu in Barcelona, ADM was a distinctly anarchist space, open, inclusive, inventive and not up for taking bullshit! Indeed both spaces were claimed and fought for, and both places have used the elements of the people to make a different vision for the world, a different way to live together, while being apart of the System.
For now, the disneyfication of Amsterdam continues…
Further Reading:
crir.net/Img2018/Tina_Carlisi_Free%20Cultural%20Spaces.pdf
https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/72506732/ADM_report_Dalakoglou_FINAL_26_11_18_1_.pdf
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