On December 2022, I have written in one of my posts that I visited and experienced the well-known "Amsterdam Light Festival 2022". This was the 11th edition light festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The festival started on the 1st of December, 2022, and will end on the 22nd of January, 2023. At first, I thought the festival is for one month only, but later I came to know it is going to stay for 53 days.
In fact, I have posted a video as well and I will attach my video at the end of my post.
The title I have given seems very cheesy and it appears like I am doing some sort of marketing on the blockchain. Right now I can't think of any unique title except this promotional type of title, lolll... If I find something, I will change the title later...
Before sharing my journey and experiences, I would like to write a little bit about the background story of this festival that I have learned from the audiobook while experiencing the festival. The concept of this festival is to present "the light artworks" done by talented artists and architects. Not only dutch artists participated in this festival but also several architects, graphic designers, sculptures, and artists from all over the world have presented their projects on a city scale.
The light festival projects were open-call projects and designers submitted their projects by the provided timeline. And among them, only a few got selected and got the chance to showcase their artwork to the entire world. Lucky them, I wish one day I will be able to submit my concept as well.
I came to know about the festival from one of my colleagues and after some research, I decided to explore it. Besides, I have never been to such kind of festival in my life so when I heard the location is Amsterdam, I thought why not I see it. It was December 23, 2022, and also it was @blind-spot birthday as well. So, I thought I should take him to the festival as well.
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Obviously, the light festival cannot be explored during daylight so we decided to go to Amsterdam in the evening. We took the train and reached at Amsterdam central around 6.00 pm (18.00). I knew that we are going to have a boat trip but I didn't check the location specifically besides I knew where we can find the tickets for the boat ride so I didn't buy the tickets online. Near Amsterdam Central, there are several boat ride ticket counters available so I went to "Lovers Cruise canal Ride" to buy the tickets for the festival. Most of the boat ride company is now offering light festival boat ride so it's not a big problem, tickets are always available. We bought 2 tickets which cost around 56 euros in total for a 1-hour trip. A normal canal cruise/ boat ride costs 10-17 euros per person but because this is the light festival, tickets are expensive. I didn't hesitate to buy the tickets because I was really excited.
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We got on our boat around 7.00 pm near central. The place was located near Damrak Avenue and the restaurant Loetje. It was raining that day and when I saw the shaded-enclosed boat, I was kinda disappointed because I knew I won't be able to see all the artwork. It is recommended to get a semi-shaded boat but due to rain, it was not available. Anyway, the journey started as well as I started listening to the audiobook to know the history.
By the way, Amsterdam looks really pretty at night.
 | The first lightwork I saw was called "The Light Gate". This illusional gate is designed by architect Edwin Baruch and the artwork is located in the middle of the canal. You can see the structure of the gate and how it looks at night. Truly astounding lightwork I would say and really nice. Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy the overall work properly because of the boat roof. |
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This artwork is called "RAYS OF LIGHT" by Tamar Frank. In the early time, fishermen used to use this blue light from the lighthouse to identify the direction. The inspiration for the artwork came from the fishermen's light. I didn't see the lighthouse and don't know where the lighthouse was located. I only saw the blue ray lights and got the idea from the audio. So the photos are definitely incomplete and won't give you any idea of the artwork project.
This beautiful project was called Flying With The Light and was done by Group B. Beautiful blue light artwork gives an illusion of several waves. Also, from far away, one might think of butterflies. I wonder what material they have used to create this illusive work.
This beautiful project by OBBA called "LightWave" really caught my eye. This landscape project is based on the showcase of colors and nature. Through this work, the artist tried to show the beautiful world and why it is necessary to save nature and the environment. This is the only project that can be seen in daylight.
This was a fun project by Studio Vertigo where they showed how a cat plays with the yarn though I didn't see the cat properly. The Artist tried to show love for his/her cat and this was a tribute to her/his pet.
There were more Light Artworks :
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Some photographs during the boat ride at night :
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A total of 20 projects were displayed in the Light Festival but I was able to see only a few properly and took photos whatever I could. I am not a genius so for source and other light artworks you can check here...
My Opinion:
I was literally disappointed after the exploration because the ticket price was expensive and I couldn't see almost anything. To me, the artworks were not clear because I didn't pay attention to what kind of boat I was getting, it was quite important and I would recommend renting a semi-shaded boat. Only 20 projects were displayed but I was expecting more unique and interesting projects. Also, the weather is very important otherwise you will end up being disappointed like me. The trip was boring as well. Many recommend exploring the festival by walking but I would say you won't be able to see 20 projects together. Better rent a boat without a roof to experience the Light Festival in Amsterdam.
Thanks for reading... See you soon...
Love
Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thought easily...
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All images used are captured by the author...