1978
Monte Video is founded by René Coelho. From his home on the Singel in Amsterdam he makes equipment and documentation available, and furnishes one room as a gallery. The first video artist whose work is shown here on the Singel was Livinus van de Bundt, Coelho's inspiration. Other artists, such as Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Shelly Silver and Gabor Body, soon make contact. It is not long before Monte Video has a large selection of works available for rental.

 

1983
Thanks to government funding Monte Video is able to move to Amsterdam North. There is now sufficient space to offer regular presentations. Not only Dutch artists, but also those from other countries are given a chance to show their videos or installations.

 

1986
Government funding received by Monte Video is cut back to almost nothing. Monte Video does receive several small transitional grants from the city of Amsterdam.
Time Based Arts, which had been founded in 1983 by the Association of Video Artists, is fast becoming well-known as a distributor of video art, and continues receiving government funding.

1986-1993
René Coelho continues on his own. Monte Video moves back to his home on the Singel. The acquisition of production facilities, distribution, documentation and promotion goes on, financed from his own income and by organizing large projects. One of these, as an example, was 'Imago', an exhibition of Dutch video installations which toured worldwide for five years beginning in 1990. There were also plans laid for the first conservation programs for video art.
The chairman of Time Based Arts, Aart van Barneveld, died; his death was followed by many conflicts within the organization. In the early 1990s Time Based Arts also lost its subsidies and threatened to go under. Monte Video and Time Based Arts decide to provide a joint art program for Amsterdam cable TV, Channel Zero.

1993
Time Based Arts merges with Monte Video. Their work is continued under the new name of Netherlands Media Art Institute, Montevideo/Time Based Arts. This fusion does free up national funding. In both 1997 and 2001 the grants are expanded and converted into a structural subsidy for four years.

1993-2009
The Netherlands Media Art Institute moves twice, in 1994 to the Spuistraat and in 1997 to its present location on the Keizersgracht. The Institute continues to grow through these years, and adopts the following mission statement: The NIMk (Netherlands Media Art Institute) supports media art in three core areas: presentation, research and conservation. At the same time, through its facilities it offers extensive services for artists and art institutions. Among these services are educational programs, to be developed to accompany all activities.