Art of the Mix + The Merchant House: A night of Art and Inspiration

Join our "Birds of a Feather" gathering where art lovers meet.

Come join creatives, tech investors, Berkeley and Ivy Circle Netherlands members for a social evening at The Merchant House (TMH) during Amsterdam Art Week, celebrating the city’s 750th anniversary and TMH’s decade-long mission to make art accessible.

The world class exhibit "Collecting I: Bridges" will feature a curated selection of works by Banksy, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Barbara Hepworth, Julian Opie, Bridget Riley, and more — from the personal collection of London-Amsterdam sustainability entrepreneur Christopher Springham FRSA. We will be treated to some inspirational words by co-organizers from Berkeley, Gallery director Marsha and art collector Christopher Springham as they made art a central part of their lives after a career in investment and clean tech.

This is an insider event hosted by Art of the Mix. in partnerships with UC Berkeley Alumni & The Merchant House. Golden Bears. The Art of the Mix is an art and tech networking community connecting creative visionaries and global citizens crossing Amsterdam and the US. Focused on the intersection of art, technology, and culture.

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Springham’s collection has been exhibited virtually at The Bridge Gallery: www.kunstmatrix.com/en/the-bridge-gallery. The show draws on the notion of “construction” (in the double meaning of the Latin cōnstruō—“to heap together”—and struēre—“to build” or “to assemble”) and reflects on art collecting that begins as a personal act and becomes a shared, immersive experience. Curated by Marsha Plotnitsky and Anastasia Nefedova.

Christopher Springham FRSA is an art collector and entrepreneur based in London and Amsterdam, with a 30-year career in renewable energy and sustainable business. Passionate about the impact of art and how it contributes to sustainability, he is actively engaged in public art projects and arts advocacy campaigns.

The collection, noted as an “Important British Collection” by Sotheby’s, comprises American Pop and Abstract artists of the 1980s and 1990s, Young British Artists (YBA’s), and contemporary and new media artists with a strong presence in Amsterdam and London, including: Tracey Emin, Brian Eno, Banksy, André de Jong, Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst, Mary Sue, Joan Miró, Robert Motherwell, Julian Opie, Bridget Riley, James Rosenquist, Frank Stella, Elsa Tomkowiak, Camille Walala, Ai Weiwei, and Margret Wibmer. Since 2024,

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Anastasia Nefedova (b. Moscow region) is a curator and researcher based in Amsterdam. She has been working with Christopher Springham for the past year in showcasing his collection online. She holds an MA in Fine Art and Design (Dutch Art Institute) and an MA in Curating Arts (RSUH).

The Merchant House (TMH) presents contemporary art projects with sales of art as a funding strategy. Founded by Marsha Plotnitsky in a 17th-century canal house, it stands for a new reflection on art-in-the-city traditions, fostering connections between artists, collectors, and the public. Bi-weekly events: www.merchanthouse.nl/events