Street Art Museum Amsterdam Explores Community-Driven Knowledge through Citizen Science in Amsterdam
The Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) recently participated in the EXTREME CITIZENS SCIENCE HUB Amsterdam, an event dedicated to exploring collaborative knowledge creation. SAMA joined researchers, institutions, and community members to discuss how public knowledge can be generated through citizen involvement.
Shifting Perspectives in Citizen Science
During the event, SAMA observed a growing trend in citizen science that moves beyond simple data collection. The focus is shifting towards acknowledging various forms of expertise and fostering new connections between established institutions and local communities. Discussions at the hub covered diverse areas like neighborhood knowledge, environmental monitoring, and collective mapping, all united by a principle of conducting research with people rather than about them. This approach recognizes lived experience as a valuable form of expertise.
SAMA's Community-Focused Approach in Amsterdam
SAMA’s presence at the hub underscored its own commitment to this participatory model. Instead of solely presenting reports, the museum showcased tangible results from their local initiatives, such as fragrant herbs and edible flowers from their Buurttuin van Verhalen (Garden of Stories). This interactive display allowed visitors to engage with SAMA's work through smell, touch, and taste, symbolizing their journey from preserving art to utilizing cultural collections as tools for community engagement. The Buurttuin van Verhalen project was developed with support from Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie and Oranje Fonds.
From Art Collection to Community Catalyst
Over the years, SAMA’s mission has evolved beyond merely documenting street art and building a collection. The museum now views its collection as an infrastructure for broader participation, research, and collective action. They explore how cultural assets can facilitate dialogue, help understand neighborhood changes, support collective learning, and ultimately enhance local living spaces.
Diverse Collaborations for Public Engagement
SAMA highlighted various projects demonstrating this philosophy. These range from hyper-local efforts like the Buurttuin van Verhalen and the community newspaper Buurtkrant, which foster local agency and storytelling, to national collaborations such as the Digital Street Art Depot (Cultuurloket DigitALL) focusing on digital preservation. They also contribute to the Participatory Evaluation of Artworks in Public Space, developed with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE–FARO). Internationally, SAMA participates in projects like Bloomberg Connects and the Erasmus+ Toolkit for Youth Workers, promoting learning and exchange through public culture. Their STRAATWIJS (NWO) initiative further investigates how academic research and community expertise can mutually strengthen each other for greater social impact. A recurring theme across these initiatives is the question of what happens when communities become active contributors to cultural knowledge, rather than just audiences.
The discussions at the Amsterdam Citizen Science hub reinforced SAMA’s belief that communities are already producers of knowledge. The challenge for cultural organizations like SAMA is not to initiate participation but to learn how to identify and acknowledge existing community knowledge, create platforms for its expression, and collaborate with it responsibly.
Future Engagement in Europe
SAMA plans to extend these conversations on participation and collective knowledge to a broader European context. The museum will be present at ESEE2026 in Ghent, engaging with themes of citizen participation, governance, and reimagining places that align with their ongoing explorations in Amsterdam. Visitors attending ESEE2026 are invited to connect with SAMA and explore possibilities where communities are seen as researchers, curators, and co-authors of change.
To discover more about the Street Art Museum Amsterdam and other unique cultural experiences in the city, explore Musemap (musemap.art) and browse museums in Amsterdam or view them on the map.
