Every Friday, from 5pm, there's an opening of a different underground artist at this cultural 'incubator'. As is custom, the artist leaves one artwork behind for the walls, alongside works by artists of exhibitions past. It's located on a quiet canal in the old centre and is the baby of Chiel van Zelst, Amsterdam's 'Nightlife Mayor'.
COBRA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | Sandbergplein 1 (Amstelveen) | (020) 547 5050 | www.cobra-museum.nl
Karel Appel and Corneille were members of the avant-garde movement CoBrA (an acronym of Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam; the artists' home cities), and the museum's permanent collection pays homage to this radical group who shook up the art world between 1949-1952. Although the museum is located a little outside of the city, in Amstelveen, it can easily be reached on Tram 5 or Metro 51 from Centraal Station – and is well worth a visit for its great programme of exhibitions.
DE APPEL | Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10 | (020) 625 5651 | www.deappel.nl
This institute for contemporary art was established to show the latest developments in contemporary art (with an international perspective), by both established and lesser-known artists. They further feed the mind with talks, discussions and video presentations, and offer an international curatorial training programme.
FOAM | Keizersgracht 609 | (020) 551 6500 | www.foam.nl
This superb modern exhibition space is where you'll find all forms of photography: fine art, documentary, applied, historical and contemporary. As well as showing the work of established international photographs (past exhibitions have focused on Cecil Beaton, Annie Liebovitz and Guy Bourdin), Foam exhibits emerging young talent through smaller, short-term shows.
GO GALLERY | Prinsengracht 64 | (020) 422 9580 | www.gogallery.nl
This fab little gallery always stages engaging exhibitions - whether it's street art by The London Police and Laser 3.14 or paintings by Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood. They also organise regular dinner parties in the space.
W139 | Warmoesstraat 139 | (020) 622 9434 | www.w139.nl
Back in its permanent – and most glorious – high-ceilinged home, this is Amsterdam's edgiest art gallery.