BY ANNA J KUTOR
Rumour has it that if you fling a bicycle pump with enough force in Amsterdam, chances are it will land in front of a cutting-edge cultural landmark. It’s more of theory than a tried and tested practice, but this floating capital harbours a remarkably dense concentration of prestigious museums, trendy galleries andfinger-on-the-pulse artistic events. This autumn is no exception.
For an introduction to the city’s dynamic cultural offerings, check out the dusk-till-dawn art extravaganza, Museum Night (www.n8.nl) on 7 November.
Over 40 museums and galleries let loose a high-octane programme of concerts, dance performances,film screenings and workshops. Start by watching a mind-warping musical presentation of Radiohead, Coldplay and Goldfrapp at the Artis Planetarium (www.artis.nl) and later work your way over to the Olympic Stadium (www..olympischstadion.nl) for a mystery tour and some record-breaking athletic stunts.
Architecture fans should make a beeline for Amsterdam’s Centre for Architecture (www.arcam.nl), which spotlights Eastern European design through discussions, exhibits and a competition between eight new-wave architects. Round off the night with a little retro dance action at the Sixties Party of the Year bash in the Amsterdam Historical Museum (www.ahm.nl).
NEW ART FRONTIERS
To soak up Amsterdam’s dynamic, boundary-pushing creative vibe, the best place to hang out is an experimental art space. Make your way to the incumbent artistic hotbed of Westergasfabriek (www..westergasfabriek.nl), a sprawling art and culture park that was converted from a derelict and decaying 19th-century gasworks site on the city’s western fringe. Its renovated brick-and-metal structures now host a vibrant mishmash of events, including the week-longfilm, television and media festival, Cinekid (14-23 October, www.cinekid.nl); the Affordable Art Fair (29 October-1 November, www.affordableartfair. nl) and the international jewellery art fair, Sieraad (5-8 November, www.sieraadartfair.com).
Keeping with the industrial-art spirit, make your next stop the NDSM shipyard (www.ndsm.nl), another factory-turned-art complex on the northern banks of the IJ Canal a 10-minute ferry ride from the back of the central train station. Browse around the wharf’s shabby-chic halls, which house more than 250 independent artists, designers, architecturalfirms, theatre groups and craft projects.
If you have time, enjoy the whimsical tales of Europe’s leading anecdotalist at the Storytelling Festival (16-18 October, www..storytellingfestival.nl). Or let your hair down for some late-night revelry with the city’s free spirits and eccentrics at the greenhouse-style Noorderlicht Café (www.noorderlichtcafe.nl).
URBAN DISPLAY
Some of the city’s funkiest art installations can be found on street corners. As part of the ongoing “Repairing” project by eclectic design foundation, Platform 21 (www.platform21.nl), German architectural graffiti artist Jan Vormann has patched-up the crumbling brick walls of the historic de Waag with brightly coloured LEGO blocks. His plastic patchworks are also on the doorposts and distressed corners of Peperstraat and the playground on Binnen Bantammerstraat.
This autumn, Amsterdam’s street-side showground expands, thanks to ArtZuid (www.artzuid.nl), an outdoor sculpture show running until 26 October along the Apollolaan and Minervalaan in the city’s south side.
