September 19, 2025 | Art & Culture
AMSTERDAM DESIGN FLOW: GLUE & TANK TOGETHER
Portrait of Rick Tegelaar Amber Zeekaf
Amsterdam is once again buzzing with creativity as GLUE — the four-day design route — unfolds across the city from September 18 to 21. The event brings together designers, architects, brands, showrooms, galleries, academies, and the wider creative community, offering an open invitation to explore the city through design. All exhibitions are free to attend, with only select programs such as dinners requiring a fee.
At its core, GLUE celebrates independence. Its philosophy is clear: “not on one side, but on everyone’s side.” The initiative embraces diversity — from emerging talents and knowledge institutes to established names and large agencies — reflecting the layered richness of Amsterdam’s design scene.
Each year, GLUE collaborates with five independent curators to select a group of creative “STICKY participants” — exhibitors who stretch the definition of design and expand its boundaries.
The 2025 curators include:
Liv Vaisberg, cultural entrepreneur and co-founder of Collectible, Brussels.
Bao Yao Fei, curator at Design Museum Den Bosch.
Margitte Verwoerdt, art advisor for private clients, corporates, artists & institutions.
Thieu Custers, program maker and concept developer at Waag Futurelab.
Noukhey Forster, curator at OSCAM and creative director of Studio OHIM.
David Heldt, co-founder and creative director of GLUE
More about GLUE: glue.amsterdam/about
WHAT’S ON AT TANK
Running parallel to GLUE, TANK also opens its doors — and not just for its legendary Friday night parties. The program is rich and diverse, offering visitors an insider’s look into design in motion.
One highlight is SHOW NOT SHOW, first launched during Dutch Design Week 2024. This special exhibition makes its Amsterdam debut at TANK, featuring designers Rick Tegelaar, Frank Penders, Lucas Zito, Luuk van Laarhoven, Marc Meeuwissen, Mokko, and Pepijn Fabius Clovis.
On Saturday, September 20 (16.00 – 17.00), don’t miss “TO BE SPOKE”, a live design session by Pepijn Fabius Clovis and Erik Bax. This performative practice explores how sculptural, bespoke objects can emerge not from predefined plans but from intuition, tension, and spatial dialogue — a chance to witness design unfold in real time.
Location: TANK Station, Rembrandtplein 17-2, Amsterdam
