Amsterdam
Light Festival
2018
Where: Mostly on the Herengracht
When: Nov 29 to Jan 20
What: Open air art exhibition that feels like a treasure hunt
How much: From 0€ to 24€ (cruises)
Who is it for: Everyone!
For the 7th year, Amsterdam is hosting its Light Festival.
If you have been at the front desk the past winters, you can skip the first part. However, if you want to find new ways to explain and sell the cruises or if you are into art, you can still check out the rest of the article!
1. To put it in a lightshell
Natuurlijk Licht, by Meke Vrienten
Every year, the Amsterdam Light Festival commitee is calling for projects to be displayed on the canals and in the city. Some are interactive and will really entertain people of all ages, while other installations are more artsy and super weird for anyone who is not used to visiting contemporary art galleries (I am talking about you, column of home appliances) !
Even people who are not so much into art and museums will usually enjoy finding themselves in front of those creative lightworks! Therefore, it can be recommended to everyone, but what is the best advice when it comes to our guests?
After all, it is possible to enjoy this event for free on foot, or to pay about 20€ for a 75 canal cruise.
2. What to advise our guests
A.N.N. by Koros Design
Most of the artworks are on the Herengracht and on a route that can be seen whether you are a pedestrian, or on a boat. Usually, on one side of the artwork, you will find a sign that introduces, in a few words, the concept and the artists. Unfortunately, the explanations are quite short and sometimes difficult to find, so if you are just walking around, you might end up passing next to the installations without truly understanding what they mean.
Check for instance this project (right-hand picture). It’s nice and even impressive, given its size. But did you honestly get that this was a representation of how messages go through our brains? Suddenly, A.N.N. (Artificial Neural Network) becomes deeper and opens a whole new level for appreciating the artwork!
If your guests are asking whether they should take a cruise or a tour, or just walk on their own, you can honestly say that they will really enjoy it much more if someone gives them the keys of what they are seeing.
3. Become the Art Expert
Let’s talk about the stars of the Light Festival 2018. I am not certainly not talking about the most famous names, but of the artworks that will stick in minds and definitely leave an impression.
The Starry Sky
(picture on top of the post)
Truly, featuring Van Gogh’s Starry Sky in lights in the city where so many people come to visit his museum was genius.
I will admit, though, that I am a bit disappointed at the seemingly simplicity of it. As most installations are playing with movement and effects, it feels almost like a let down that the colors would not be moving. It would have made the piece even more incredible. Still, my opinion is not that important, this piece is definitely this year’s people pleaser.
Spider on the bridge
Spider on the Bridge, by Groupe LAPS
“You have to buy tickets for the Color Cruise! There is a giant spider made of smaller spiders !”
OK… I am not sure that this is a highlight you should mention at the front desk.
But this one will definitely leave an impression. Even though Spider on a bridge is not scary at all, arachnophobic people, you will be fine! But it will make you think: “Why the stroopwaffel would someone want to create a giant spider? The sign will tell you about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. A giant Spider is playing with our inner fears and imagination.
But if you want to sound super smart, you should read about Louise Bourgeois. Indeed, all contemporary art lovers cannot but think about her incredibly famous giant sculpture of a spider in 1999. The 9 meter sculpture was even at the City Hall of Den Haag in 2001. Can you believe that the title of her giant art piece was “Maman” (Mother). “Echt??” you will reply.
Maman, by Louise Bourgeois
The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.
— Louise Bourgeois
Dandelions
Dandelions by OGE Group
The Dandelions are floating in the air and swirl when there is a gush of wind. This fleeting and aerial installation brings some sort of a peaceful and poetic energy. They remind the childhood times when we would all blow on the dandelions and look at the small pieces fly around, almost magically and ignoring gravity.
If your hotel is nearby, why not suggesting to your guests to make a wish while contemplating them over the canal?
This is also what is called a Momento Mori . The fact that one second seems to be frozen in time reminds us that everything ends, and that we should enjoy the present.
It definitely echoes the art installation displayed in front of Central Station “All the light we see is from the past” (the time it takes for the light to reach our eyes and be treated by our brains. All that you see is already over, when you think about it!)
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