Refresh Amsterdam #3 | Imagine the Future

Amsterdam is 750 years old! This momentum is a reason for celebration and reflection. What makes the capital of the Netherlands what it is today? Which memories should not be lost? And above all: what do we want Amsterdam to look like in the future? Imagine the city in 2025, or even further ahead. What kind of place will Amsterdam be then?

As part of Refresh Amsterdam #3: Imagine the Future, the Amsterdam Museum invited everyone to look ahead. This third edition of the Refresh Amsterdam art manifestation was the largest and final exhibition in the Amsterdam Museum’s temporary main location, and focused on imaginings of the future. The future of Amsterdam, but also that of the Netherlands and the world.

With this publication, we bring together some of these imaginings. We do this through the four sections, or chapters, of the exhibition. Visual artist Raquel van Haver (born 1989) presented the series The Collateral Kin (2025) in the main gallery, featuring six group portraits commissioned by the Amsterdam Museum, depicting contemporary Amsterdammers who play an influential, unifying, and militant role in the city. The second part consisted of submitted works from people across the country, whom we asked about their visions of the future. The third part featured fifteen commissioned works by artists (collectives) whom we invited to visualize their vision of the future. Through collaborations with the IMC Weekend School and Mediacollege Amsterdam, the fourth part showcased the hopes and perspectives of children and students. Finally, this publication also features reflections from other participants in Refresh Amsterdam, including interviews with guest curator Nina Folkersma.