KUNSTMEST

What KUNSTMEST does

KUNSTMEST is a cultural consulting firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, operated by co-founders Mette Samkalden and Rob de Melker. The firm advises cultural institutions, governments, organizations, and artists on cultural policy, public art projects, collection development, exhibition programming, and talent development. Its service offering is organized around five pillars: art projects in public spaces, art collection assembly with a preference for commissioned works, exhibition projects and public programs, cultural policy and strategy development, and talent development programs including the Level Up program co-organized with Stichting Art Projects. The business is a professional services practice with no technology platform, proprietary software, or AI components — service delivery depends entirely on the founders' expertise and a curated network of freelance specialists and partner organizations across the Dutch cultural sector.

Kunstmest generates revenue through customized, project-based consulting engagements rather than standardized products. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagements are scoped per client, with marquee mandates including the curation and placement of over 1000 artworks for Rosewood Amsterdam, multiple art commissions for Gemeente Amstelveen exhibited at Museum JAN and Cobra Museum, and corporate collection development for Concreet PM. Customer acquisition is sales-led, driven by the founders' prior roles at the Municipality of Amsterdam and This Art Foundation, plus referrals from a deep ecosystem of design studios, curators, engineers, audio producers, and cultural foundations. The firm operates exclusively in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Amstelveen, and broader Dutch municipalities), with no evidence of international expansion, external investment, or scaling beyond the two-founder partnership model.

Name

KUNSTMEST

Legal name

Kunstmest

Website

https://kunstmest.consulting

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KUNSTMEST is an Amsterdam-based cultural consulting firm, founded in 2021 by Mette Samkalden and Rob de Melker, advising Dutch cultural institutions, governments, and artists on public art projects, collection development, cultural policy, and talent development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tour & Artist Management Services (HSACAHAN)

Keywords

• Cultural consulting services
• Art collection advisory
• Public art consulting
• Cultural policy advisory
• Exhibition development

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cultural Consulting Services: Kunstmest generates revenue through consulting engagements advising cultural institutions, governments, organizations, and artists on cultural questions and projects. Revenue is project-based, involving policy advisory, collection development, public art project management, exhibition development, and talent development programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Kunstmest is a boutique cultural consulting firm in Amsterdam that advises governments, cultural institutions, organizations, and artists on art and cultural projects. Its core services span public art project realization, art collection development and commissioning, exhibition programming, cultural policy and strategy development, and talent development for emerging artists, delivered as customized consulting engagements rather than standardized products.

Product overview

Kunstmest is a cultural consulting firm operated by Mette Samkalden and Rob de Melker that provides advisory and project management services to cultural institutions, governments, organizations, and artists. The company offers a unified suite of consulting services centered around five interconnected pillars: (1) Art Projects in Public Spaces, where artistic quality and participation intersect; (2) Art Collection Assembly with a preference for commissioned works; (3) Exhibition Projects and Public Programs for cultural institutions; (4) Cultural Policy and Strategy Development for governments and organizations; and (5) Talent Development Programs including individual coaching and Level Up, a day program for emerging artists developed in partnership with Stichting Art Projects. The services are delivered as consulting engagements rather than a software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Projects in Public Spaces Realizes art projects in public spaces where artistic quality and participation go hand in hand. The service is targeted at governments, municipalities, and organizations seeking to commission or develop public art installations and programs.
• Art Collection Assembly Assembles and curates (public) art collections, with a preference for commissioned artworks, tailored to client identity and wishes. The service is targeted at hotels, corporations, municipalities, and cultural institutions seeking meaningful art collections.
• Exhibition Projects and Public Programs Develops exhibition projects and public programs for cultural institutions. The service is targeted at museums and cultural organizations requiring exhibition development, public programming, and audience engagement support.
• Cultural Policy and Strategy Development Develops strategy and policy for governments and organizations, spanning from artists to consumers and from residents to visitors. The service is targeted at municipal and provincial governments seeking advice on cultural policy, subsidy schemes, and cultural chain strengthening.
• Talent Development Programs Initiates programs to make visual arts more accessible, strengthen the cultural field, and stimulate young makers. The service is targeted at emerging artists and cultural institutions seeking to support professional development.
• Individual Coaching for Artists Provides individual coaching for artists and makers as part of Kunstmest's talent development offering. The service is targeted at visual artists seeking professional development and support in navigating the cultural field.
• Level Up A comprehensive day program organized jointly with Stichting Art Projects to help graduating and recently graduated artists navigate the cultural field and accelerate their professional practice development. Targeted at emerging visual artists entering the cultural sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully curated and placed over 1000 artworks for Rosewood Amsterdam
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stichting Art ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting Art Projects initiates projects that strengthen the art sector and create connections between art and new audiences. Kunstmest supported the foundation in fundraising for an art festival and jointly develops and organizes the Level Up program with the foundation—a comprehensive day program helping graduating and recently graduated artists navigate the cultural field and accelerate their professional practice.
• This Art FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis Art Foundation was established in 2005 to support visual artists both artistically and professionally, organizing This Art Fair where artists independently present and sell their work. Kunstmest co-developed with the foundation the online platform The Pool as part of the one-time Springboard Art Fair for graduates during COVID time. Mette Samkalden previously served as director of This Art Foundation for 7 years.
• Podcast TailorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast Tailor creates high-quality audio productions for companies, museums, brands, and makers since 2020. Kunstmest works with Podcast Tailor for audio content production related to cultural projects and programs.
• Studio Hessel de RondeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Hessel de Ronde, founded in 2018 by Hessel de Ronde, develops imagery and visual identities for cultural, ecological, and social projects. Kunstmest collaborated with Studio Hessel de Ronde on projects including SuperWest and Het Gedeeld Domein.
• Ellis KatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEllis Kat is a curator, writer, and programmer who curates exhibitions at various institutions and writes for art magazine Mister Motley. Kunstmest collaborated with Ellis Kat on the outdoor exhibition Biotoop in Amstelveen and on Cindy Bakker's De Bal artwork.
• Pieter PollemansminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPieter Pollemans is an engineer specializing in analysis of complex and special constructions. From a love for the arts, he applies his experience to constructively review designs by artists. Kunstmest worked with Pieter Pollemans on various artworks in public spaces including De Bal by Cindy Bakker and the temporary exhibition Beelden in Leiden.
• Vida VerestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVida Verest graduated in 2022 in Medieval and Modern Art History and works as a freelancer in the cultural field, combining art expertise and curatorial perspective with hands-on mentality as production leader and program maker. Kunstmest worked with Vida Verest on the manifestation Het Gedeeld Domein and the formation of an art collection for a new hotel opening in Amsterdam.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Cultural Foundation: Amsterdam-based pan-European cultural foundation funding and convening arts and cultural-policy work across the continent. Comparable to Kunstmest in cultural-policy focus and Amsterdam footprint, but operates at much greater scale with grantmaking and convening rather than project delivery.
• Sotheby's Art Advisory: Global art advisory and brokerage offering corporate art advisory, collection management, and art-related financial services. Comparable to Kunstmest in advising enterprise and high-net-worth clients on art collection building, but at vastly larger scale and with broader service scope.
• Christie's Private Services: Global auction house offering private art advisory, collection strategy, and related services. Comparable to Kunstmest in advising on art collection strategy for private and corporate clients, though Christie's serves as a broad incumbent with significantly more scale and global reach.

Others

• Mondriaan Fund: Dutch public fund for visual arts and cultural heritage, awarding grants to artists, institutions, and projects. Comparable to Kunstmest as a participant in the Dutch visual-arts ecosystem, though it operates as a funding body rather than a consulting practice.
• Stichting DOEN: Dutch philanthropic foundation funding innovative entrepreneurs and cultural initiatives with a focus on social and cultural impact. Comparable to Kunstmest in the Dutch cultural ecosystem and overlap with creative-sector talent programs, but functions as a funder rather than an advisor.

Direct peers

• Boekmanstichting: Dutch research and policy institute focused on arts, culture, and cultural policy. Comparable to Kunstmest because both translate cultural-sector expertise into advisory and strategy outputs for Dutch institutions and government.
• LKCA: Dutch center of expertise for the cultural and creative sector, providing advisory, knowledge-sharing, and program support. Comparable to Kunstmest as a Dutch cultural-sector advisory organization working with municipalities and cultural institutions on policy and development.
• DutchCulture: Amsterdam-based organization supporting Dutch arts and culture internationally through policy, program management, and advisory services. Comparable to Kunstmest as a Netherlands-rooted cultural consultancy advising public-sector and cultural-sector clients on strategy and project execution.
• H+F Consultancy: Boutique cultural strategy consultancy advising governments, foundations, and cultural organizations on cultural strategy, policy, and program development. Closely comparable to Kunstmest in size, model, and dual arts-plus-government positioning.
• Cultural Enterprises: UK membership organization providing commercial and strategic advisory to cultural institutions, museums, and heritage organizations. Comparable to Kunstmest in delivering project-based commercial and strategic advice to cultural-sector clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kunstmestconsulting

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 KUNSTMEST