Amsterdam Afro-Diaspora Art Tour – Zuidoost Stories & Studio Visit
Step away from the usual Amsterdam postcard and discover Zuidoost through art, culture and community with Gracia Tenda, a Congolese author and passionate art lover.
This small-group tour takes you inside Afro-diasporic museums, heritage spaces, public art, murals and working studios that many visitors never find on their own. Along the way, you’ll hear powerful stories of identity, migration and creativity, enjoy a Surinamese-Indonesian coffee break with Dawet, and meet a Congolese artist shaping Amsterdam’s contemporary art scene.
Tour Highlights
- Discover Amsterdam Zuidoost through Afro-diasporic art, culture and community stories
- Visit inspiring local spaces including OSCAM, Imagine IC and CBK Zuidoost
- Explore colourful murals, public art and creative neighbourhoods away from the tourist trail
- Enjoy a Surinamese-Indonesian coffee break with the famous Dawet drink
- Go behind the scenes at OAZO and Studio Fransix Tenda Lomba, with time to meet the artist
Detailed Itinerary:
Your tour begins in Amsterdam Zuidoost, one of the city’s most diverse and creative neighbourhoods. With Gracia as your guide, you’ll start at OSCAM, Amsterdam’s leading museum for Afro-diasporic contemporary art. Here, you’ll discover how a community refused to stay invisible and created its own space for art, identity and representation in the heart of the neighbourhood.
From there, you’ll continue to Imagine IC, a unique heritage institute inside the public library. This stop opens the door to living traditions from the African diaspora in Amsterdam, from Ghanaian queens to Congolese naming rituals. Through Gracia’s storytelling, you’ll see how culture is carried, protected and shared across generations.
Next, visit CBK Zuidoost, an intercultural art space that has spent decades making art more accessible. Here, African and Afro-diasporic art is not treated as something distant or exotic, but as modern, bold and alive. You’ll admire original works by contemporary artists and learn how to look at art through the stories, symbols and lived experiences behind it.
The tour then moves into Nelson Mandela Park, where you’ll experience Rona Batho, a powerful public artwork by South African artist Mohau Modisakeng. Surrounded by green space, you’ll also visit the Garden of National Trees and explore its message of recognition, diversity and belonging.
In Heesterveld, step into one of Amsterdam’s most colourful creative communities. Once scheduled for demolition, this neighbourhood has been transformed by artists into a vibrant space filled with murals, studios and local energy. Here, you’ll pause for a relaxed coffee break with Surinamese-Indonesian flavours and the famous Dawet drink, while hearing an untold story of migration.
The experience concludes at OAZO and Studio Fransix Tenda Lomba, where you’ll go behind the scenes of a recognised Congolese artist making his mark on Amsterdam’s art world. Visit the collective gallery, discover the award-winning Kelasi project about education and power in Congo, and meet the artist in his studio with time to ask questions.
At the end, there is also a small surprise gift to take home — a final reminder of the artists, communities and stories you have discovered together.
Come curious and leave with a new understanding of Amsterdam: not only as a city of canals and museums, but as a place shaped by Afro-diasporic creativity, migration, memory and the people making space for their own stories.
Additional Information
Cancellation policy: Cancellations more than 2 days before departure will receive a full refund. Cancellations within this period attract a 100% cancellation fee.
Accessibility: This tour is mostly flat and step-free, but some venues may have narrow entrances or limited space inside.
Dietary restrictions: We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests.
Dress code: Wear whatever feels comfortable for the day. We recommend supportive shoes and weather-appropriate layers.
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