Djing Saturday In Amsterdam, Fatform Festival

Fatform is ready to welcome you tomorrow night!

It is such a pleasure to be back in Amsterdam for more than just the obvious reasons. I had the opportunity to play here several times last year, all due to the amazing people behind Fatform, an independent festival of art and music.

There are no corporate sponsors for Fatform. Almost all the artist that participate have been more or less living on site for the past few weeks, creating site specific pieces and installations and generally converting a 3,000 cubic meter parking garage and office space into one of the biggest exhibition spaces in all of Holland, for the duration of the show.

This year there are 55 contemporary Dutch and international artists participating from as far away as Japan and South Africa, making this installment of Fatform quite possibly the biggest art expo to take place in the Netherlands this year. In addition to the visual arts, an entire lineup of live music and dj sets is programmed for the opening party tomorrow, of which I am lucky enough to receive the closing time slot. It should be epic!

I attended my first Fatform fest last year (their second festival all together) and really appreciated the community vibe that permeates this show. It was important for me to come early again this year to meet the artists and lend a hand in the creation of the project. The vibe of the site is one of a highly dynamic artist commune, with volunteers preparing meals each day for the entire crew and days of hard work being celebrated in the evenings with cold beers, music and friendly conversation on the roof top, all while enjoying the sunset over the skyline of Amsterdam's Bijlmer neighborhood. Since I arrived here Tuesday, the transformation I have witnessed is stunning. Everything is about in place for tomorrow's opening party, Present Forever. Doors open at mid-day and I'm due to go on around 8PM on the roof deck of the structure. There will be an after-hours I'll be playing as well to keep the good vibes going into the night. If you happen to be in Amsterdam, come out and see what's going on in the Bijlmer!

Fatform Facebook Page
Official Site

[more behind the scenes photos after the break]

---

unloading recycled pallets for construction

signs under construction

dinner and beats served up on the roof

view from the roof of the neighboring mosque and rising crescent moon

one level of the car park becoming transformed

the dj booth setup in the kitchen/lounge area

the space viewed from near the entrance

young hustler on his grind