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For a few late September days during what felt like the last of the Summer sun, NAP+ art fair took over the sprawling industrial space of Donauweg 11 with an art fair aimed at deconstructing what art fairs are. We joined for four days of music, on-location broadcasts, interviews and panels with some leading lights of the Amsterdam arts scene.

Across the three days of broadcasting, we built up 14 hours of original radio material, which is available now to listen again. Here’s a rundown of everything that went down during our live broadcast from NAP+.

Day 1: ‘Behind the Scenes’ with Rice, Peas, Roots & Culture

Friday 12th September we went behind the scenes with two Echobox hosts as our intrepid guides. Marcel and Wes blur the lines between art, music and culture every month on their pan-African variety show.

The hosts of Rice, Peas, Roots & Culture, Marcel & Wes, dove gave us a peek behind the curtain of the art world with conversations about transporting, the hands on nature of being an art graduate and a peek into the minds of the founders behind the whole thing.

NAP+ was founded as an antidote to formal art fairs and an ode to how they started in the 80s, focusing on emerging talent and work that challenges visitors: NAP+ founders Sara Lang & David Doesburg talked us through their ‘sub-universe’. “It all started with the idea that Amsterdam needed something like this… a vibrant, alive, cool art fair” – Sara Lang. “I wouldn’t even call it an art fair! It’s by and for galleries and artists” – David Doesburg.

Punctuating Marcel and Wes’s soundtrack of soul, funk and disco-adjacent grooves was Peruvian born, Rotterdam based multi-disciplinary artist and Echobox resident with Perreo31, Sandra Zegarra Patow. The conversation felt like old friends: from the origin story of her artist name 20 Uñas, to how to navigate a relationship between art and DJing as well as the ultimate in hangover cures, followed by a DJ set of signature reggaeton and dembow.

Important to the co-programmer of this on location broadcast, gallerist Mabel Woodley, was talking to art transporters: an often overlooked, yet crucial role in the world of art (and with some of the wildest and weirdest stories). The panel talk ‘Transportation of Art’ featured artist and transporter Bo Bosk and Joep Münstermann from the Anything is Possible art handlers, and took us through the weird, wonderful and often surprising world of art transportation. Ever wondered what makes a good replacement for breast milk in a long-term installation? Look no further!

Plus an intimate dissection of one of the art world’s lesser discussed dynamics: that between a gallerist and an artist. Artist Tyna Adebowale and gallerist Ellen de Bruijn rounded out the day with a delicate and intimate conversation on their origin story and how important this symbiosis is.

Day 2: ‘Collectivity & Navigating The Arts’ with Luke Cohlen

Saturday 14th September, Aural Conduct head-honcho and Echobox mainstay Luke Cohlen took the reins for an exploration of collectivity in the world of art, as well as some of his signature leftfield selections.

Echoing the overarching philosophy of the weekend, Luke’s experience within collectives and the art scenes of The Netherlands could not be better placed. Concerned with art as a collectivised practice, his music selections for the day also reflected this, within his signature range of leftfield, ambient, deconstructed and dark storytelling. ,

Echobox’s neighbours for the weekend, De Wasstraat, showcased 20 young artists who just graduated from school of art or the master/atelier program, presenting their work in the former car wash and ranging from films, installations to sound work and paintings. Luke sat with Félix Keslassy, a De Wasstraat artist to talk about their practice, limitation, experimental architecture and how to navigate the scene as a new graduate..

Members of Axia Maxim, the Echobox residency that recontextualises non-club music into high-energy spaces, also have their own experiences navigating the artworld with various practices.. All good friends, Luke, Elina Tapio & Julia Mira discussed how to define a collective (as a ‘collective of two) as well as club sets as an art practice, before a signature Axia Maxim set: “…don’t compromise [your taste]. Experiment. Show off all of the colours that your selection carries and be proud of that.” – Elina Tapio

Luke’s theme for the day’s panel discussion ‘Young, Grassroots: Working Together in Modern-day Art Worlds’, came from the heart. Joined by Pim Lamme, owner of the semester9 gallery, INDEBT founder Ciro Duclos, and David Kloosterboer and Benjamin Carels, curators of De Waastraat titled, the conversation dwelled on the significance of collectivity to make art accessible in an unfriendly system.

Finally, we rounded up the day with Sjoerd Hermens, Director and Curator of Rozenstraat, with a discussion of funding in the art world and the pressures that emerging artists face trying to make a living through their practice.

Day 3: ‘Arts & Sound’ with Loma Doom

Sunday 14th September, we dove into the intersection of art and sound with Echobox resident, sound artist and professor Loma Doom AKA Femke Dekker.

The day began liminally by dialing in with British, sculptor, Turner prize nominee and Tate Modern exhibitionist Delaine Le Bas to discuss her work, the importance of her Romani roots and how she uses sound in putting together her works.

Conversely Loma’s next guest, Jonathan Castro, the graphic designer behind Dekmantel Ten and experimental music showcase Weather Report, is making art for the world of music. Long time collaborators and friends, Loma and Jonathan discussed his roots from Lima, to navigating the politics of arts studies in Amsterdam, his visual work and how it connects to his musical endeavours. Jonathan curated a unique selection of post-punk gems and psychedelic cumbia.

As a beautiful circular moment, Loma Doom was joined by two of her former students – both of whom were exhibiting at NAP+ – Femke Kamau Nganga and Heidi Holström. Both artists feature sound heavily in their artistic work and broached the question ‘When does sound become art?’ The conservation broached the sidelining of sound in art academies, and learning to appreciate the mundane sounds of everyday life, from skyscraper whistling to drunken Yorkshire drawls on airplanes.

You can listen back to all of the recordings in the Echobox archive.