2016-2017 Amsterdam Light Festival

2016-2017 Amsterdam Light Festival: Celebrate the Winter Season with Art, Light and Water

From December 1st, 2016 until January 22nd, 2017, the city of Amsterdam lights up for the 2016-2017 Amsterdam Light Festival. Over 35 artworks from international light artists, designers and architects find their way to the Dutch capital.

Welcome to my Hometown Artwork by the Lighting Design Academy

The artworks are located alongside two different exhibition routes: Water Colors, the boat route, and Illuminade, the walking route. More information about the festival and its routes can be found in the link below.

2016-2017 Illuminade Walking Route

‘Illuminade’ is the walking route of Amsterdam Light Festival. It is opened daily from December 15, 2016 – until January 08, 2017. For bigger groups it is possible to book a guided tour  along 20 light artworks in the cultural Weesper and Plantage neighborhoods.

Watercolors Boat Route

‘Water Colors’ is the boat route of Amsterdam Light Festival, where the famous Amsterdam canals form the decor for the light art objects. Water Colors is opened daily from December 01 2016 until January 22 2017. Most of the boat tours start from the Amsterdam Central Station.

The artworks are lit from 17:00 until 23:00 and for the Illuminade between 17:00 and 22:00.

More information about the festival and program is available at the festival website.

Amsterdam Light Festival 2016-2017

Amsterdam Light Festival 2016-2017

Thanks to Amsterdam Light Festival 2016-2017, we have no longer to count with the dark winter months in Amsterdam. With the help of contemporary (inter)national light artists, the city center is transformed every year into a true “city of lights”. During this annual festival for young and old, both the residents of Amsterdam and the city’s many visitors are attracted to a real spectacle of light.

Boat and Walking Routes

Amsterdam Light Festival consists of two main routes. The boat route, Water Colors, offers a unique view of the city from the perspective of Amsterdam’s famous waterways. For the case you are more interested in an evening walk, just go outside for ‘Illuminade, the walking route through the culturally rich neighborhoods ‘Weesper’ and ‘Plantage’ in Amsterdam East.

Amsterdam Light Festival 2015-2016_Strangers-in-the-Light by Victor Engbers and Ina Smits. Picture courtesy of ALF.

Amsterdam Light Festival: Bridging institutes – businesses and municipalities

The festival was initally founded by numerous entrepreneurs in Amsterdam and has become a private foundation meanwhile. The festival would not exist without the help of the city’s cultural institutions, knowledge institutes, businesses, funds and the municipality. Many people from different industries have committed to shining a spotlight on the Dutch capital.

This year, the 55-day festival was dedicated to theme ‘Friendship’ and could be visited from 28 November 2015 until 17 January 2016.
Let’s celebrate the winter together with art, light and water!

Openings Amsterdam Light Festival 2015-2016

OPENINGS AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL 2015-2016: A BOND OF COLORS

The Amsterdam Light Festival 2015-2016 edition starts today. Her Royal Majesty Prinses Beatrix will open de 4th edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival. This new edition will enlighten the innercity of Amsterdam until January 17, 2016 with a variety of light art installations. Experience historical Amsterdam like never before!

ALF 2015-2016: Behind the Scenes

There’s been spend a tremendous effort by various lighting artists and volunteers to make this next edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival into another success. Hear the artists speaking about their work and see how they prepared their latest installations for the actual festival:

Water Colors – An Enlightening Canal Cruise

Experience Amsterdam in a most unique way: choose for Water Colors – a canal cruise to discover the beauty of the historical part of the city. New innovations and the latest lighting technologies illuminate the area from the Herengracht to the Oosterdok to Amstel. Boats depart daily (except New Year’s Eve) from 17.00 to 22.00. The 75-minute boat tour takes you along, under and through spectacular light artworks. Water Colors will take place from 28 November 2015 to 17 January 2016.

Illuminade  – Experience the Illuminated Outdoor Showcases

The walking route Illuminade 2015-2016 takes you past 20 light artworks through the culturally rich neighborhoods Weesper and Plantage. The outdoor exhibition showcases artworks that have been created specifically for Amsterdam Light Festival by (inter)national talent. From bright projections on historical buildings to dynamic lighting systems in city parks to works that you can actually walk through, the artworks add an extra dimension to the public space.

Illuminade offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy contemporary culture and the beauty of light, for free. See Amsterdam in a whole other light and be sure to share this special experience with family and friends. Illuminade will take place from 10 December 2015 to 3 January 2016.

Cover picture © by Janus van der Eijnden.

Preview Amsterdam Light Festival 2014-2015

“OVER 50 DAYS OF ILLUMINATED SCULPTURES, PROJECTIONS AND INSTALLATIONS IN PUBLIC SPACE”

This winter, Dutch Amsterdam will light up once again up during the ‘Amsterdam Light Festival’. This is the third edition of the winter light festival for young and old. For more than fifty days, the historical center of Amsterdam will be the unique décor for this international festival.

Boat and Walking Route

The city will be complemented by light sculptures, projections and installations by contemporary (inter)national artists. The boat route, Water Colors, will take visitors past artworks along Amsterdam’s canals and the Amstel. The walking route, Illuminade, winds through the city center. During the festival, light will play a central role in the city as museums and institutions organize light-related activities, introducing visitors to innovations in light art.

‘A Bright City‘

The theme for this year’s festival, ‘A Bright City’, challenges artists to create a tribute to life the city. The resulting artworks present a unique take on the modern city of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Light Festival is the result of a joint venture between the cultural institutions, the municipality, knowledge institutes and businesses in Amsterdam.  It is unprecedented that so many parties of all sorts have made such a huge joint effort to make this festival happen and to reinforce the qualities of Amsterdam. Partners from all kinds of industries have put the focus on Light through their winter program. Many, many volunteers work selflessly and with great enthusiasm on the first edition of the festival.

Thanks to the festival, the city of Amsterdam is enriched and illuminated with art that changes public space during the darkest time of the year, art to which the spectator will have a surprised, enthusiastic or playful response.

Dates

This third edition of the festival will take place from 27 November 2014 to 18 January 2015. The boat route, Water Colors, will take place from 27 November 2014 to 18 January 2015, and the walking route, Illuminade, from 11 December 2014 to 4 January 2015. The Amsterdam Light Festival and Illuminade are one of the leading light festivals around the globe during the IYL2015.