het resort

What het resort does

Het Resort is a private non-profit site-specific art space and artist residency organization based in Groningen, Netherlands, founded in 2018 by Karina Bakx and Ellen de Haan. The organization operates a nomadic programming model, organizing artist residencies and exhibitions at unconventional (semi-)public venues across Groningen and Friesland, including snack bars (e.g., Cafetaria Koning), a football club (V.V.K.), a swimming pool (De Papiermolen), former gas stations, and cemeteries. Programming is structured as numbered episodes (S01E01 through S09E01) organized under four-year thematic cycles around 'volkscultuur' (popular culture), with the current cycle running from 2025 to 2028 under the themes 'Sunny Side Up' (2025, food and drink culture) and 'I <3 HOBBIES' (2026).

The core products comprise the main artist residency and exhibition program, the Midseason talent development program for newly graduated artists (workshops, field trips, mentorship, 4-6 week format culminating in a group exhibition), the monthly Studium Resort artist talk series (curated in 2026 by Ellis Kat), the Solo Sauna Retreats program initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Infiltrating Public Space intervention series. Supporting products include self-published exhibition catalogs and a small online gift shop offering publications priced €5-€15 plus branded merchandise (scarf €25, mug €10). There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is fundamentally experiential and curatorial.

Revenue mechanics rely primarily on institutional grants and municipal subsidies from the Mondriaan Fund (the Dutch public visual arts and cultural heritage fund) and Gemeente Groningen (the municipal government), supplemented by modest earned income from exhibition entry fees of €3 (free for students), publication and merchandise sales, and organizational memberships in Noordenaars and De Zaak Nu. The organization operates with approximately 10 employees across directorial, curatorial, producing, and marketing/communications functions, plus a four-person Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht). Distribution is direct-to-public at exhibition venues, with audience development through Instagram, Facebook, and an email newsletter (nieuwsbrief).

Name

het resort

Legal name

Het Resort

Website

https://hetresort.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Het Resort is a Groningen-based non-profit site-specific art space and artist residency organization, founded in 2018, that curates residencies and exhibitions at unconventional public venues across the Northern Netherlands, supported primarily by Mondriaan Fund and Gemeente Groningen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Subsidies: Primary funding from Mondriaan Fund and Gemeente Groningen, providing institutional support for artistic programming and operations.
2. Gift Shop Sales: Sale of publications (€5-€15), merchandise including resort scarf (€25) and mug (€10) through their gift shop.
3. Membership Fees: Member of Noordenaars and De Zaak Nu, suggesting organizational membership structures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Het Resort is a non-profit contemporary art organization that operates a site-specific artist residency program in Groningen, Netherlands. It commissions artists to develop and present new work at temporary, unconventional locations within the city and surrounding region, organizing exhibitions that respond to the specific sites where they are shown.

Product overview

Het resort is a site-specific art space and artist residency organization based in Groningen, Netherlands, that operates as a nomadic cultural institution rather than a fixed-platform product. The core offering consists of rotating residency programs (episodes S01E01 through S09E01) held at unconventional, everyday locations such as snack bars, swimming pools, football clubs, cemeteries, and gas stations. Supporting programs include the Midseason talent development program, Studium Resort monthly artist talks, a Gift Shop selling publications and merchandise, Solo Sauna Retreats (COVID-era initiative), and the Infiltrating Public Space intervention series. The organization is supported by Mondriaan Fund and Gemeente Groningen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Studium Resort: Monthly artist talk series featuring conversations, lectures, workshops and performances, curated by Ellis Kat in 2026.
• Midseason
• Solo Sauna Retreats

Products and services

• Artist Residency Program A program that invites contemporary artists to spend a residency period in Groningen to research and develop new site-specific work, with curatorial and production support from the Het Resort team and a culminating public exhibition. It is intended for visual artists working in contemporary art who want to create new work in dialogue with a specific Groningen location.
• Site-Specific Exhibitions Time-limited exhibitions of contemporary art installed at temporary, unconventional venues across Groningen and the surrounding region. Each exhibition is developed in response to the specific site where it is shown and is open to the general public during its run.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8+ consecutive seasons of programming since 2018
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NoordenaarsminorOthersPlatform for presentation institutions and art initiatives in the North of the Netherlands. Het Resort is a member of this platform.
• De Zaak NuminorOthersCultural organization network. Het Resort is a member of De Zaak Nu.
• Gronings VuurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraveling culture program across Groningen province. Collaboration on specific projects like Nat Karton with Bert Scholten at Oude Pekela.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cobra Museum: Amstelveen museum of modern art focused on the CoBrA movement and contemporary expression. Referenced in Het Resort team member Ellis Kat's prior roles; comparable as a Dutch institution programming modern/contemporary art exhibitions and public activities.
• Van Abbemuseum: Eindhoven museum for modern and contemporary art with collection, exhibitions, and public programming. A larger established Dutch contemporary art institution; comparable on the arts programming dimension though operating from a permanent venue.
• Kunstinstituut Melly: Rotterdam contemporary art institution (formerly known as Witte de With) — referenced in Het Resort team member Ellis Kat's prior roles. A broader, established Dutch contemporary art institution with a wider programmatic scope than Het Resort's nomadic model.

Direct peers

• W139: Amsterdam artist-run contemporary art space supporting experimental exhibitions and projects. Comparable as a non-profit Dutch platform for contemporary artistic practice, with a focus on emerging and experimental work.
• BAK (basis voor actuele kunst): Utrecht-based contemporary art platform supporting artists through residencies, exhibitions, and publishing. Comparable as a Dutch non-profit combining artist support, public programming, and critical publishing.
• Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten: Amsterdam-based two-year artist residency program supporting international artists with studio, research, and production facilities. Directly comparable as a Dutch residency institution, though at significantly larger scale and longer duration.
• Jan van Eyck Academie: Post-academic research institute and residency in Maastricht supporting artists, designers, and theorists. Directly comparable as a Dutch artist residency institution, with a research rather than purely exhibition focus.
• De Appel: Amsterdam contemporary arts institution with a long-running curatorial programme and artist support activities. Comparable as a Dutch non-profit platform for contemporary art with exhibition and educational programming.
• TENT: Rotterdam contemporary art platform supporting exhibitions, residencies, and talent development. Comparable as a Dutch non-profit that combines exhibition programming with artist support and audience development, though with a fixed venue.
• Nieuw Dakota: Independent contemporary art space in Amsterdam previously directed by Ellis Kat, who has just joined Het Resort as Studium Resort programmer. Both are non-fixed-venue, curatorial-driven art platforms supporting artist residencies and exhibitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hetresort
• Instagraminstagram.com/hetresort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hetresort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about het resort