In the mid 1990s, the Boekhorststraat, located in the Old Centre district of The Hague, experienced an explosion of new art spaces. It gave a new stimulus to the city’s contemporary and experimental art scene. 349 years after the building was built, Galerie Liter, as 1646 was called at the time, was founded by KABK alumnus Pnin, in a former shop. The very first exhibition opened on 9 April 1995.

Two years later, Ramon Ottenhof took over the space and renamed it 1646, after the property’s year of construction, then still visible on the façade. In the following years, the space functioned as a platform for experimental art where a different, ongoing programme was presented on each floor. Starting and studying artists were given the opportunity to show their work outside The Hague’s traditional gallery infrastructure. Huib Haye van der Werf took over Ottenhof’s place and ran the space together with Per Röhrer. They were succeeded by Robert Jan Verhagen. The openings of 1646 were an arena for the exchange of perspectives and ideas. This further embedded 1646’s connecting role in the art scene of The Hague.

​​During this period, the management of the space was passed on to a new generation of art school alumni every year or every two years, creating a dynamic environment with a constantly shifting vision and focus. Programming varied from large group exhibitions to individual projects, constantly transforming the space from storefront to “white cube”, to living room and back again. Throughout these various phases, 1646 remained an important player in the vibrant artistic network that shaped The Hague’s cultural landscape in the years that followed.

KABK graduate Dette van Zeeland was running 1646 from 2000 to 2002 with the help from Mauro Paolozzi, Akim Helmling, Robert Jan Verhagen, Martijn van Boven and Daan Patijn. In 2001, 1646 took a more official step and was registered as a foundation. The group began to expand 1646’s network of artists both in The Hague and beyond, participating in inter-institutional events and festivals. During this period, 1646 started receiving occasional grants from institutions such as Stroom Den Haag, making it possible to realise more ambitious and internationally oriented projects.

Between 2002 and 2004, the space was briefly known as Zechs, directed by Denis Oudendijk and assisted by Andries Micke, and returned to its original programming of dynamic group exhibitions.

In 2004, a new group of graduates took over 1646, including Johan Gustavsson, Clara Pallí Monguilod, Bas de Boer, Floris Kruidenberg, and Domenico Feragnoli. They began to develop the design of a programme with a strong focus on solo exhibitions and the associated artistic process.

The next step was taken in 2008 with the grand renovation of the building by architects Iris de Kievith and Andries Micke, supported by Gemeente Den Haag and the European Commission’s regional development fund (ERDF). Structural grants allowed the organisation to continue to grow under the leadership of Gustavsson, Pallí Monguilod, Kruidenberg and Feragnoli. This enabled developments for the space and its function, including an expansion of (internationally oriented) programming and the establishment of the well-known 1646 residency programme. From within the organisation, there is a strong commitment to creating better working conditions for artists and workers in the cultural sector.

Since 2019, Johan Gustavsson and Clara Pallí Monguilod have been co-directors and curators of the space, continuing and refining its approach to showcasing innovative artistic practices through solo exhibitions, presentations, events, publications and international collaborations. It fulfils the connecting role, both locally and internationally, that has characterised 1646 since its inception, providing a breeding ground for the development of the work of both emerging and established artists with room for experimentation in work and presentation. In September 2023, 1646 was extended to include the adjacent property on Boekhorstraat, number 127.