About us
Upstream Gallery, established in 2003, has quickly gained a credible international reputation among collectors, art institutions and critics, and is a perfect example of Amsterdam’s internationally renowned contribution to contemporary art. With a focus on radical, engaged, conceptual and digital art, Upstream Gallery brings pioneering and critical work from over 20 artists from the Netherlands and abroad.
Having worked with artists focussing on digital mediums for the past ten years, Upstream Gallery is currently at the forefront of the Dutch and international digital artscene.
Since September 2015 Upstream is situated in a monumental 17th-century city palace in Amsterdam’s historic city center. The ground floor consists of two exhibition spaces, office space and a private-viewing room which is used as an extended exhibition space and private showroom. The iconic grand canal house, known as the Poppenhuis (‘Poppen House’), was built by renowned architect Philips Vingboons in 1642 and is one of his major works. With its sleek, classical facade it draws much attention among the many step-gables in the area.
The Poppenhuis
The ‘Poppenhuis’ came in the place of the private home ‘De Gulden Steur’, that the grandfather of Joan Poppen, Jan Poppen, had built in 1601. Jan Poppen was a prosperous merchant, and co-founder of the VOC (‘United East India Company’). The father of Jan Poppen, Jacob Poppen, had been alderman and three times mayor of the city of Amsterdam. He was one of the most wealthy citizens of the city and left a tremendous estate at his death. Jan Poppen himself was shut out of important policital positions after he had converted to Roman Catholicism. The family of his mother’s side, the Wuytiers, was also Catholic.
During his time, Philips Vingboons (1607-1678) was a much sought-after architect in high Catholic circles and had built houses for for instance the Cromhout family on the Herengracht. The Poppen House is one of the major works of Vingboons and with its sleek, classical facade, draws much attention among the many step-gables in the area. The house was not, as was usual, a combined merchant’s house and warehouse, but served mainly living and representation.
Exhibition Space
