Contact
contact@ivoschmetz.nl

 

After a collaboration of 20 years, I started fresh in 2023. This time on my own and under my own name. Starting over means redefining who you are and what you do. In my case, that is not so simple, because I enjoy many different things and am actively involved in various roles and activities. I am a graphic designer, but also a video editor, animator, initiator, web documentary maker, interaction designer, activist, writer, music programmer, board member, curator, publisher, and for some time now I have also been giving presentations and workshops. That sounds like a lot and perhaps unbelievable, but this is who I am and what I do.

This multidisciplinary character developed over time because I often take the initiative to set up projects and enjoy experimenting with different media and art forms. Some people see this multidisciplinary approach as unclear and confusing, but I see it primarily as a strength. It is a hybrid form of being a designer in which I connect different genres, activities, media, initiatives, art forms, and activism in order to work toward new perspectives and ideas.

As we all know, the world is not doing very well. There are many crises, conflicts, and divisions. Our society (or societies) are under pressure, and non-human life on Earth is suffering greatly as a result of human actions. I deliberately call it “human action,” because it is abundantly clear that our desires, our runaway consumer society, and our drive for infinite growth and profit maximization are the root causes of many problems. We want more than is possible, and that affects our lives, but especially those of non-human life and future generations.

This awareness plays a major role in defining who I am and what I want to do. I no longer want to work (or contribute) to making products and services more attractive or adding value to things that cause or contribute to the many crises facing humanity and the Earth. I do not want to tell my children and grandchildren one day that I was too cowardly to change, or that I knowingly continued doing something I knew was no longer viable, purely for the money.

I understand that you cannot simply withdraw from this system, and it would be hypocritical to claim that I do everything right. I don’t, and that is impossible anyway. What I do try to do is think carefully about the role my work plays in and for society. I work from a clear, content-driven motivation and try to bring others along in raising awareness and in the transition toward something new.

For that transition, we need a government that is committed to a just society and a healthy planet, rather than one that is narrowly focused on the economy. We need companies that operate within the planetary boundaries and do so in a fair way for everyone. And we need people who organize themselves around the commons and cooperative principles, encouraging governments and businesses to act from intentions that align with our responsibility to leave the Earth in a healthy state. We can do this—and we must.

I want to work for and with people, organizations, governments, and companies whose mission aligns with this intention to do everything possible to make life better, healthier, and fairer for everyone, including non-human life on Earth. It will not happen overnight, but I am convinced that together we can create a new collective vision of the future. A new narrative in which we no longer measure success, freedom, and happiness by how much money and power we have to satisfy all our needs, but by things that truly matter.

How did I get to where I am now?

OLVG
After a fantastic time at the art academy in Maastricht, I moved to Amsterdam in 1997. I started working at a video company and fairly quickly (by coincidence) ended up in the squatting scene. In 1998, I helped squat two wings of the OLVG hospital in Amsterdam East. I used one of the many rooms as a studio and turned another into living space. As a growing group of people made the building increasingly livable, we also began organizing exhibitions and parties.
It was a fairly well-organized happy chaos that I will never forget, but unfortunately, after about a year and a half we were evicted and had to look for a new building.

OT301
A few months after the eviction, on November 14, 1999, the OT301 (the former film academy of Amsterdam) was squatted. Slightly smaller than the hospital, but still a fantastic building with many possibilities to continue the combination of living, working, and public functions that we had started at the OLVG.
In 2006, we succeeded as a collective of artists and creatives in purchasing the building from the municipality and converting it into collective ownership. In this case, collective ownership means that the property always belongs to the association and not to individuals within the collective. No one can sell their share.
The purchase was an important moment for the survival of OT301, but also for me personally. I became increasingly interested and involved in the organizational structure. I became music programmer for our concert/club space and joined the board of the association in 2011.
As a member of the PR & communications committee, I designed many flyers, posters, banners, and the OT301 website. Together with others, I also produced the books Autonomy Through Dissent (2013) and 20 Years of Art & Autonomy (2019).
I am still active at OT301 as a music programmer and board member. Since early 2023, together with a team of volunteers from Amsterdam Alternative, I have also been responsible for the programming of the cinema on the second floor of the building.

3-1
When the software ReBirth RB-338 was released in 1996, I came into contact with making music for the first time. In my student room in Maastricht, I often spent nights experimenting with beats and synths on my computer. I knew little to nothing about making music and worked purely from intuition and feeling. It was a proces of listening, trying, listening, trying... for hours on end, almost in a trance.
In the squatted OLVG hospital in Amsterdam East, music-making became more serious, and together with Peter Rutten I founded the electropunk band 3-1. In the beginning, we made rather abstract, vague, unpredictable noise, but as we learned more, our tracks became more structured and refined. To emphasize the raw character of the music, we bombarded audiences during live performances with homemade videos and an absurdist live show featuring dancers and a kickboxer.
We played as 3-1 until 2010, performing hundreds of live shows at festivals, museums, clubs, and squats in the Netherlands and abroad. After 3-1 ended, I worked with Peter and Paul on a new project called TCS, but due to lack of time we did not continue it for long. In 2016, Peter and I started making music again under the name Van Pi, and later with Lilian Hak under the name LHISPR.

310k
After several self-initiated projects and some VJ performances, Paul Rickus and I officially started the design studio 310k in April 2003. In addition to the usual print assignments of the time — such as posters, flyers, record covers, visual identities (logo, letterhead, business cards), magazines, and books — we had a strongly multidisciplinary approach from the beginning. We especially liked working on projects that combined print with online and video content.
During the twenty years we worked together under the name 310k, we handled a wide range of cultural and commercial commissions. It was a wonderful period in which we learned a lot, realized many of our ambitions, and had a great deal of fun. As we always called it ourselves, 310k was pure magik (with a k). In 2023, after exactly twenty years of collaboration, we decided to stop. Time for something new — a new direction, new goals, and new ambitions. We still share a studio, but now each of us works under our own name.

Basserk
At the end of 2005, Peter Rutten, Paul Rickus, and I decided to release the music of our electropunk band 3-1 on our own record label, Basserk Records. Our first EP, Don’t Destroy, was pressed on vinyl in an edition of 500 copies. To our surprise, all the records sold fairly quickly. Encouraged by this, more releases soon followed.
We started with electropunk and electro, but soon decided to release music in other genres as well — ranging from electro and techno to ambient, bass, future beats, breaks, and more. We did not want to limit ourselves to a single genre, as long as the music was raw and energetic.
Despite some small successes and the potential to make something “big” out of it, Basserk is and remains a “small” label. Unfortunately, we do not have the time or resources to scale it up. Basserk still exists because we love music and enjoy helping young, talented artists find their way.

Abnormal Data Processing
Abnormal Data Processing is a small, independent publishing house that I founded in 2011 to publish self-initiated projects, both independently and in collaboration. As a graphic designer, I have always had a love for books and special print work. The digital world is of course fantastic, with all its multimedia and interactive possibilities and its wide reach, but it lacks the physical element.
The beauty of print lies in the details: the choice of paper, format, binding, printing technique, ink, cover, and, of course, the design. The physical aspect — and even the smell of freshly printed material — still makes “old-fashioned” printing very worthwhile.

Amsterdam Alternative
Amsterdam Alternative emerged in the spring of 2015 as a collective of non-commercial (sub)cultural free spaces in Amsterdam. Our initial goal was to establish a new, supportive network to connect the remaining free spaces in the city and help them when needed.
After several meetings, I proposed — as a graphic designer — the idea of creating a free newspaper together, in which we could share both our programming and background articles to strengthen the voice of the underground.
In addition to the newspaper, we also organize public discussions, documentary and film screenings, the AADE, podcast recordings, and the AA Academy, together with a large group of volunteers. These activities take place at various locations in the city, but since early 2023 mainly at the Ventilator cinema/bar in OT301.
To help realize new free spaces in Amsterdam, we initiated Vrij Beton and later created an extensive modular web documentary on collective ownership. As one of the co-founders, I am still closely involved in Amsterdam Alternative — not only as the designer of the newspaper, website, events, Vrij Beton, and the web documentary, but also as a coordinator, connector, and driving force.

Writing
I no longer remember exactly when or why, but my love for stories and books has been with me since my early years. This fascination with the printed book is twofold. On the one hand, there is the designer in me who loves the craft of bookmaking — the form, paper, ink, binding, and the physical experience of a book. On the other hand, there is the content: the story. Words take you on adventures, provide insights, spark interest, and largely shape how others think about something or someone. Our society is, to a large extent, built on stories.
The urge to write only emerged at art school, but the things I wrote there never saw the light of day. My book Archivo De Pivo (2011) contains my first writings, but they are entirely subordinate to the visual character of the book. It was only when I co-founded Amsterdam Alternative in 2015 and started working on the newspaper that I decided to write seriously for publication. I have since written many articles and do so with great pleasure, while also realizing that I still have much to learn.

Vrij Beton
In January 2019, during a public discussion at the Vrijpaleis, we launched a plan under the banner of Amsterdam Alternative to fight for new free spaces — permanent free spaces in collective ownership. The then-unnamed project was enthusiastically received and was given the name “Vrij Beton” a few months later.
The project continues to be received with great enthusiasm, but to this day we have not yet succeeded in realizing the first Vrij Beton free space in Amsterdam. This is not surprising, as acquiring property or space is extremely difficult in a city where space is scarce and prices are extremely high.

Web Documentary
After an online and offline campaign to introduce Vrij Beton to a broad audience, I organized several public discussions to involve interested and curious people in this ambitious project. I quickly noticed that many people had little understanding of how collective ownership works and often confused it with communism.
Instead of stubbornly continuing with Vrij Beton, I decided to take a step back and first create a foundation in the form of an archive or knowledge base — a place I could refer people to when it became clear they lacked knowledge about collective ownership. Because there are so many inspiring stories and examples, I decided to turn it into an modular web documentary: a project in which video, audio, photography, and text are combined to bundle knowledge and make it freely available to a wide audience. The web documentary has been online since early 2024 at www.collectiveownership.net.

Workshops and Presentations
The alternation between different projects and roles is challenging and gives me a great deal of satisfaction and energy. This hybrid form has developed over time because I have always combined my design practice with self-initiated, autonomous projects and collective, non-commercial initiatives such as OT301, Amsterdam Alternative, Vrij Beton, and the web documentary on collective ownership.
Because of this diversity of activities, I am not only an experienced designer and maker, but also have extensive experience organizing within collective, horizontal structures. In recent years, I have regularly shared my knowledge and experience through presentations, lectures, and workshops. Depending on the location, theme, and setting, I speak about topics such as design and creativity, free spaces, self-organization, self-management, taking initiative, collectivity, entrepreneurship, solidarity, activism, and collective ownership. I tailor the content of each presentation or workshop to the desired focus.

Future
I do not know exactly what the future will bring, but I hope to continue designing, organizing, initiating, writing, and doing all the other things I enjoy for a long time to come. I hope there will be many more meaningful self-initiated projects, collaborations, and commissions. At the same time, I want to keep experimenting, learning, and reflecting on the role of my work within the larger whole.
The role of the designer who makes something look beautiful when what lies behind the façade is ugly or harmful is certainly not mine. I only want to work for organizations, brands, companies, and people who think beyond their own wallets and are willing to commit themselves to a hopeful, healthy, and just future for everyone.

 

OT301
Voorkant OT301, Overtoom 301, Amsterdam // © Leon Hendrickx

A Free Space in Amsterdam
OT301 is a free space in Amsterdam where people live, work, and organize many public activities (concerts, film screenings, art, etc.). I was present on the day the building was squatted (14 November 1999) and I am still involved with the collective today.

Setting up and maintaining a collective like OT301 is intensive and requires a great deal of energy. Together with many other members and volunteers, I have invested a lot of time — and we will have to continue doing so to keep the engine running. It is an organic, democratic process that will never truly be finished.

My personal involvement in OT301 is spread across several roles. For example, I have been a member of the association’s board for many years, helping to keep an eye on the overall direction of the collective and to manage important matters with parties such as the municipality, the police, and the bank. In addition, I have been a music programmer/curator in the concert hall for many years and am responsible for programming a large part of the music.
The cinema on the second floor of OT301 is run by Amsterdam Alternative, and I am also involved there as a coordinator and programmer. As a designer, I have been responsible for the website and other visual communication of the building for many years.

For more information about the history of OT301, see here.
For an up-to-date program overview, visit: www.ot301.nl

OT301 - 20 Years of Art and Autonomy

In November 2019 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of OT301. This was a great moment for a new website and an updated logo with matching posters and flyers. It was also the perfect occasion for the publication of a photo book and a special sweater featuring the names of approximately 1,500 DJs and bands who had performed in the concert hall up to that point.

The photo book 20 Years of Art & Autonomy is primarily a visual archive, containing a collection of around 700 photographs by various photographers. It is an attempt to show OT301 in all its diversity and creativity and to capture the energies flowing through the building. Of course, it is impossible to be complete and some things simply cannot be captured in images, but I believe we succeeded quite well in documenting a beautiful piece of history.

The book is still available via www.abnormaldataprocessing.com

 
 
 
 
 
 

New OT301 Website

The new OT301 website, launched in 2019, provides space for everything that happens within OT301. This ranges from relatively static content such as the history of OT301 and information about members, public spaces, and our artist-in-residency program, to the almost daily updated information about workshops and programs in our concert and club venue, cinema, gallery, and vegan kitchen.

My design was technically realized by my studio mate Joes Koppers (UseMedia). What makes the website particularly strong behind the scenes is that different members can log into the CMS (Content Management System) with different access rights, and that the agenda is directly linked to the Amsterdam Alternative website. All event information entered into the CMS is automatically distributed to both websites.

 
 
 

Web Documentary on Collective Ownership

In the web documentary on collective ownership that I worked on between 2022 and 2024, an entire page is dedicated to OT301. Among other things, it explains in text how OT301 was founded and how, over the years, we transformed from a squat to a rental situation and eventually to collective ownership.
This page also features video interviews with Irina Baldini (4bid gallery), Sjam Sjamsoedin (music producer), and myself. In addition, I created a nearly 20-minute video in which the interviews are combined with footage of concerts, performances, and other images of OT301.

 
 

De Overhaal (2011-2013)

Between 2011 and 2013, the project De Overhaal took place. Initiated by Nienke Jansen and myself, this project aimed to provide OT301 and its members with new energy and a solid new foundation.

After a more difficult period, and in order to get our affairs back in order and prevent a similar precarious situation in the future, we decided in 2010 to apply for a project grant from the AFK. This application was approved, allowing us to work from 2011 through 2013 on a new organizational structure, a new vision, and several other predefined goals. The project was titled De Overhaal. “Overhaal” is another word for “Overtoom” and refers to the historical installation that was once used (before locks existed) to haul ships over land from one body of water to another. It was a symbolic name, as we hoped to move ourselves into calmer waters through this project.

The first year of De Overhaal focused on research. We organized various brainstorming and working sessions with members of our association and a number of external guests. Topics included the building, finances, organizational structure, visual arts, performing arts, and our dreams. Partly practical and partly imaginative, we discussed what the future could ideally look like. To avoid reinventing the wheel in every area, excursions were planned to comparable spaces in the Netherlands and abroad. We visited, among others, Poortgebouw, Roodkapje, Worm, and PlantageDok in the Netherlands, as well as Progr, Reitschule, and Rote Fabrik in Switzerland; ABC No Rio, CaveArts, Printed Matter, Flux Factory, and Vaudeville Park in New York; and Gängeviertel in Hamburg.

In the second year, we began shaping and implementing our new organizational structure: a structure with working groups (to increase member involvement) and an active board that, for the first time, also included two external members. We also started writing a new vision, and several pilot projects emerging from the first year’s brainstorming sessions were launched. These included the construction of a green roof, the start of our artist-in-residency program, an online archive for meeting minutes, and the organization of the Otopia Festival.

In the third year, we mainly focused on formulating our new vision and organizing all the input from the research phase and the findings from the pilot projects. All this information was ultimately compiled into the publication Autonomy by Dissident. This book is divided into three parts (past, present, future) and is conceptually based on the three key pillars of the entire project: autonomy, self-management, and collective ownership. We presented the book at the end of the process, marking the end of a period of in-depth research, experimentation, forward-looking thinking, recovery, and renewal.

I was intensively involved in coordinating De Overhaal and experienced these three years as highly motivating and educational. The democratic and visionary nature of De Overhaal contributed positively to reconnecting, activating, and motivating the members.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Off Beat Cinema zine (2011)

In 2011, the zine Off Beat Cinema was initiated by a small group of people working in the OT301 cinema. The project was intended as a bi-monthly update on underground, art-house films, and documentary screenings in “alternative,” non-profit cinemas in Amsterdam.

The zine included information about the programs of various cinemas in Amsterdam (OT301, Uitkijk, Rialto, The Movies, Studio/K, etc.). It also featured articles on new films and documentaries, interviews (including with Martin Koolhoven), and several columns.
It was a fun project to work on, with a lot of potential to grow into something substantial, but unfortunately it ended after only three editions due to a lack of time and funding.

 
 
 
 

Flyers, Posters, Program booklets 

Over the past 25 years, I have created hundreds of flyers, posters, banners, and program booklets for OT301. These were primarily printed materials used to communicate program overviews for all public spaces (concert hall, cinema, gallery, etc.), but in recent years increasingly also promotional visuals for daily promotion on our social media channels.

Below are a few examples.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Collective

OT301 was founded as a collective project and transitioned from a squat to collective ownership in 2006. This means that everyone in the collective is a co-owner and therefore jointly responsible for the maintenance, programming, and continued existence of OT301.
Being a co-owner does not mean that someone can sell their individual spot. That is not possible, as ownership always remains with the collective. If a place becomes available, the collective will seek a new person or group.

Collectivity is one of the most important pillars of our organization, and it is essential to realize that OT301 exists — and can continue to exist — only thanks to the efforts of all the people who are or have been involved.