The Hague Tech marked a significant milestone last week with the official opening of its new premises in the iconic Stationspostgebouw, located in the heart of The Hague’s Central Innovation District.
The launch event welcomed a diverse audience of members, partners, neighbours, and stakeholders from across the innovation and technology ecosystem. The programme commenced with welcome drinks, providing an opportunity for guests to reconnect and meet new members of the community. This was followed by a plenary session that introduced the strategic vision for The Hague Tech’s future, emphasising its continued commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
During the afternoon, visitors were invited to explore the new space through guided tours led by members of the community. These tours offered insight into the range of projects currently underway, as well as the dynamic, collaborative environment that The Hague Tech seeks to cultivate. Informal networking continued throughout the event, reflecting the open and inclusive nature of the organisation.
The event concluded with a festive cocktail reception, accompanied by music and a lively atmosphere. Attendees were given the opportunity to celebrate this important transition, while strengthening connections and exchanging ideas for future collaboration.
With its relocation to the Stationspostgebouw, The Hague Tech enters a new phase of growth and engagement. The new location provides not only modern facilities but also reinforces its role as a central hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and community within the region.
TEDxTheHague returns on 8 November 2025 with its flagship event, themed ‘Zoom Out’—marking the city’s first official TEDx event in five years. The organization has now opened its call for speakers.
In a world constantly fed by micro-moments, social media feeds, and overwhelming streams of information, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. “Zoom Out” invites everyone to take a step back and see the bigger picture—personally, locally, and globally. It’s a call to pause, reflect, and expand our perspective beyond the immediacy of daily distractions, listen to insightful talks and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about big ideas.
Rather than reacting to fragments, this event encourages to look for alignment, empathy, and space to truly connect across divides. It’s not just about ideas, but about creating space for meaningful connection.
“We’re excited to bring TEDx back to The Hague and grow a community passionate about bold, meaningful ideas. This is more than an event—it’s a catalyst for dialogue,” says Wang Jia, TEDxTheHague license holder.
Why This Event Matters for The Hague:
Locally: Examines Dutch identity, community, and cultural shifts
Globally: Seeks fresh approaches to complex challenges
Speakers Wanted: Do you have an idea worth spreading? TEDxTheHague seeks diverse voices—from scientists to artists, activists to entrepreneurs. Applications are now open at https://tedxthehague.com/speaker-signup.
The deadline for speaker applications is 16th of July.
Sponsorship Opportunities: As a nonprofit, TEDxTheHague relies on partner companies and communities who value thought leadership. Organizations interested to support the cause can contact the team to discuss collaboration.
Over the past year The Hague’s museum collection has been enriched with work by contemporary artists who offer new perspectives on the world around us. Recently, Kunstmuseum Den Haag has added monumental works by Oscar Murillo, Steffani Jemison, Moshekwa Langa, Randa Mirza and Emma Talbot to its collection. These works are now on show in the international group exhibition New New Babylon – Visions for Another Tomorrow.
Kunstmuseum Den Haag is redirecting its collection, with a view to enhancing its multivocality and topical relevance. The monumental works by Steffani Jemison, Moshekwa Langa, Randa Mirza, Oscar Murillo and Emma Talbot have added important contemporary voices to the collection. The new acquisitions highlight the museum’s new programme line Making the Future, which considers not only what is lacking, but actively creates room for artists who challenge and enrich the canon, with an optimistic, critical and unifying take on the past, present and future.
“Collecting means thinking ahead. We are investing in makers who manage to visualise major issues – sometimes in monumental work, sometimes in small poetic pieces. These works speak to the icons in our collection, from Mondrian to Rego and from Constant to Monet. I am incredibly proud that we have been able to make this happen, thanks to the support of many.” – Margriet Schavemaker, general director, Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Oscar Murillo, disrupted frequencies, 2013-2022 Over a period of twelve years Oscar Murillo (b. 1986, CO), his studio team and his family collected thousands of drawings by young humans from all over the world, made on canvases that were attached to their desks for months. The drawings have been made into a monumental patchwork, like a collective consciousness of time. Connected by streaks of blue paint that are reminiscent of the sea or sky, the installation outlines a visionary world beyond geopolitical borders. Its acquisition of disrupted frequencies makes Kunstmuseum Den Haag the first Dutch museum to add work by Oscar Murillo to its collection, building on his first Dutch solo exhibition Social Cataracts at KM21 (2021).
Emma Talbot, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, 2022 Emma Talbot (b. 1969, UK) reflects on the human tendency to flee to an allegedly ‘natural’ world at times of crisis. Inspired by Paul Gauguin’s painting of the same name from 1897–98, she questions this desire. Moving fluidly through different times, Talbot considers the future from the perspective of mythology, feminism and ecology. Her first solo exhibition in the Netherlands was Sounders of the Depths (2019) at KM21.
Randa Mirza, Beirutopia (series), ongoing Randa Mirza (b. 1978, LB) exposes the tension between the utopian promises of construction projects in Beirut and the messy reality of this urban environment. Her keen visual idiom shows how futuristic visions of urban development exclude residents from their own future. Randa Mirza’s solo exhibition BEIRUTOPIA is now showing at Fotomuseum Den Haag.
Steffani Jemison, Bound, 2024 In the video installation Bound Steffani Jemison (b. 1981, US) shows how the body can rise above existing systems. Professional trampolinists soar across a blue sky, as poetic references to capitalism and Black history appear beneath the surface.
Moshekwa Langa, Mogalakwena, 2018 In his installation Mogalakwena (2018) Moshekwa Langa (b. 1975, SA) depicts a personal geography based on memory rather than on official borders. Taking his childhood in a South African ‘black spot’ during apartheid as his starting point, he used yarn, objects and images to make an associative map of belonging and invisibility. Langa’s first solo exhibition in the Netherlands was Omweg (2022) at KM21. Kunstmuseum Den Haag is the first Dutch museum to have a large-scale installation by Langa in its collection.
New New Babylon In New New Babylon: Visions for Another Tomorrow Kunstmuseum Den Haag explores how contemporary artists approach utopian thinking. Based on Constant’s iconic New Babylon (1956-1974), the exhibition presents possible futures and critical reflections on the present, beyond the constraints of work, property and nation. New New Babylon shows how artists around the world – often working on a collaborative, collective or interdisciplinary basis – continue to look for new ways of living together and new means of visualisation.
Restless Lizzy has been running from her past for years — but a welcome escape is about to turn into a perilous race against time…
“She’d been looking for excitement… Now she certainly had it”
When museum guide Elisabeth Bernard is entrusted with a mysterious painting, she leaps at the chance to research it. But passionate Lizzy’s quest for the truth soon leads her into danger as she crosses Europe on a route once travelled by her favourite artist.
Meanwhile, back in 1880s Scheveningen, aspiring painter Vincent van Gogh is searching for inspiration, companionship and his own distinctive style. As Lizzy’s plight escalates, so Vincent’s anguish intensifies, with famously tragic consequences.
A BRUSH WITH HISTORY
An art-heist adventure told through the eyes of an art historian, Following Van Gogh is a parallel journey of self-discovery; a tale of passion, and what we are prepared to risk in pursuit of it.
Blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction, the narrative features evocative biographical passages which frame the fast-paced modern-day narrative, painting a vivid portrait of one of the world’s best-loved artists. The book is also full of insights into Van Gogh’s process as a painter, from his resourceful habit of using both sides of a canvas to his frequent feat of completing pictures in a single sitting — a custom he honed in Provence, where the mistral winds rapidly change the light and colour of the landscape.
Praise for Following Van Gogh:
“A perfect story for lovers of both art and crime novels… You’ll explore one of the most exciting periods in art history, while gaining insight into the black market… A captivating tale you can read in one sitting” — Lena Puhar O’Grady, Art Historian and Archaeologist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tea Gudek Šnajdaris an art historian, travel writer and editor of the Culture Tourist blog. She also works as a guest guide at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where the idea for her novel first took shape: “Exploring Van Gogh’s artwork in detail always made me wonder how much the locations in which he lived and worked influenced the themes, colours and brushstrokes in his paintings,” Tea explains. “In 2019, I embarked on my dream trip: a fortnight’s exploration of locations linked to Vincent van Gogh in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. That trip was so inspiring, it sparked the idea of writing a novel.”
Whether recreating the remote beauty of Glanum archaeological park or an increasingly industrialised Paris on the cusp of art revolution, Tea’s talent as a travel writer shines through the narrative, sparking curiosity for the places and paintings we encounter along the way, and fostering a rich understanding of their context.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT STORIES, COMPILED BY HANNAH HUBER
“Sometimes, life glitches so that you can rewrite the code”
—S.A. Grant
Midlife has a habit of forcing change. Whether we’re in a career or marriage cul-de-sac, caring for aging parents or coping with empty-nest syndrome, we find ourselves re-evaluating our lives as never before. So what does it take to spark meaningful change?
Unexpected Giftsis an anthology of sixteen short stories and essays, a reflection on midlife and its inflection points. With authors spanning seven countries, these “Stories of Change” explore some of life’s biggest questions through a variety of voices. Alongside successful writers and podcasters, we hear from a social worker, a psychologist, a widow, and a lawyer; a “single mom by choice” and a father honoring the loss of his son. By experiencing change through the eyes of others, we challenge our own choices and begin to lean into new possibilities.
SHARING CIRCUMSTANCE AND OFFERING PERSPECTIVE
“I’ve learned that midlife is not a ‘dirty’ word, nor is it confined to one decade,” says Author Hannah Huber, who compiled and curated this special anthology for Storyhouse Works after experiencing her own personal inflection point (a story detailed in the book’s introduction). “This special but pressured time forces us to examine our own values and make big, sometimes risky decisions, or smaller, significant changes. Often there’s a trigger: a moment, a person we encounter, or an experience that brings on these changes. These are the unexpected gifts.”
The book was inspired by stories of people in Huber’s direct environment, and so it follows that local Amsterdam artists were commissioned for the collection. Author portraits—by Patricia Velasco, Tanja Bladt-Cohen, and Anna Demina— accompany each story, just one of the many reasons this special anthology will serve as an inspirational resource and gift for generations to come.
Now available worldwide. Price €19,99 Paperback / €29,99 Hardcover / €9,99 eBook.
It’s incredible how just a few months can reshape who we are.
My story with The Hague began when I was still a bachelor’s student in Brazil, admiring international organizations from afar and wondering if one day those global discussions would feel closer to me. I had always dreamed of studying abroad and pursuing a master’s degree after graduation. In my final year, I started researching programs and chose Public Administration because of my longstanding interest in the administrative aspects of International Relations, particularly how projects and policies are managed.
Scholarships and Surprises
In 2023, I applied to four master’s programs. However, the high prices for non-EU students and the exchange rate currencies made studying abroad impossible for me. So, I applied for scholarships. After landing on various waiting lists, I began to lose hope and even started making new plans.
That’s when, in April, I received an email: I had been awarded the LExS Scholarship from Leiden University. It is offered to students with outstanding academic records and clear motivation for their chosen program. With that, my dream began to take shape.
Enter The Social Hub: A New Opportunity
Just as I was celebrating this achievement, things took an even better turn. I received another email from the University, this time introducing me to The Social Hub’s TSH Talent Foundation and the Changemaker’s Program. This initiative supports academic excellence, leadership, and professional development through mentorship, networking, innovation, and collaboration. Moreover, it also provides housing for the scholars!
Another round of motivation letters, applications, and waiting began. Long story short: after thinking everything was lost at the start of 2024, by July I had two scholarships and a brand-new chapter of life waiting for me. (This is also how I met Renée, who is my mentor in the program. I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to write this today!)
With TSH Talent Foundation mentor Renée Tentori
Living the Dream
This year marks a journey of independence and the realization of many dreams. As a child, I always told my parents that I wanted to see the world, meet new people, and explore different cultures. Every day here feels like a dream come true.
I feel incredibly lucky to live in a city like The Hague, surrounded by the international organizations I once studied. It’s amazing to witness all of this with my own eyes and to share this experience with classmates from around the world.
Growth, Challenges, and Accomplishments
When I look back at the person who arrived here 10 months ago, I see so many changes. I’ve grown more confident academically, become comfortable talking to “strangers,” and created memories with people who have become an essential part of my life.
The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” couldn’t be truer. In such a short time, I completed multiple courses, submitted a thesis (where I explored how issue salience and government legitimacy influence local politicians’ motivation to prioritize environmental issues), and gained insight into their decision-making processes. I’ve traveled to many new places, survived the Dutch winter, and met incredible people along the way. Above all, I feel more like myself than ever before.
At TechFest @ The Hague Tech in January 2025, invited by TSH Talent Foundation mentor Renee, and meeting others at the event
Looking Ahead: Hope and Uncertainty
Nonetheless, I find myself in a moment of uncertainty right now. I’m applying to many internships, traineeships, and junior positions, mainly in the areas of project management, administration, and roles connected to environmental issues and education, which align with both my experience and interests. Still, breaking into the job market has been challenging, and getting an interview feels like a victory.
Even so, I remain hopeful. I truly believe that the right opportunity will come at the right time. For now, I’m committed to continuing this journey in the Netherlands, embracing whatever the next chapter holds and enjoying every moment of what was a dream some months before. The future may be uncertain, but it is full of possibility.
Let’s Connect!
I’m currently looking for job opportunities or internships in the Netherlands in areas related to project management, administration, sustainability, and/or education. If you know of any openings or want to connect, please reach out viawww.linkedin.com/in/sofia-siqueira-254221102
