The Netherlands shows its artsy side with a flair

You don’t have to know much about art to enjoy what Amsterdam has to offer during its annual event, as Craig Smith discovers

Whether you are an art lover or you don’t know your Van Gogh from your Vermeer, Amsterdam truly is a blank canvas. And visitors looking for something different from what one might consider a typical trip to “The Dam” will certainly be spoiled for choice when it comes to contemporary art offerings.

The city is famous for its canals, beautiful houses, so-called coffee shops and Red Light District, but there’s plenty more to this liberal city than most visitors realise. The Netherlands’ nominal capital and the country’s largest city, with a population of more than 851,000, Amsterdam is also the most visited, with over 3.5 million foreign visitors a year.

And as those visitors will testify, it’s one of the greenest cities in Europe, with latest estimates suggesting that there are more bikes in Amsterdam these days than permanent residents.

Of course, no trip to the city should be complete without enjoying the tourist hotspots like the Anne Frank Museum, savouring the Heineken Experience or stopping by the likes of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum or the Stedelijk Museum.

The fact independent galleries and canalside studios have sprung up all over the place to perfectly complement the established heavy-hitters showcasing centuries of art history should not be overlooked.

The city is bustling all year round, but I visited the Dutch capital during the sixth annual Amsterdam Art Weekend – and it’s fair to say there’s no better time than that to sample the city’s growing contemporary art scene.

Four whole days in November are dedicated to celebrating contemporary art and bringing the cultural sector together in a unique way, with the lure of more than 100 exhibitions and events in the 2017 programme a fine way to explore the city’s historical and up-andcoming districts.

Organised by Amsterdam Art, the only contemporary art weekend of its kind in the city hosts more than 46,000 visitors a year and, if the plans for 2018 are anything to go by, that figure will only rise year-on-year.

What struck me about the city, apart from the apparent explosion in bicycle use in recent years, was that there was none of the snobbery some might associate with the art world, with the strong focus on emerging artists, new technologies and media meaning there really is something for everyone.

Our tour started with a visit to the headquarters of Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, which showcased a unique exhibition in collaboration with Ellen de Bruijne Projects in a stunning 17th Century canal house.

But the beauty of Amsterdam lies in its diversity, and visitors can while away the hours at galleries like Galerie Fons Welters, the Annet Gelink Gallery, Grimm, and Huis Marseille. All with their own identity, all with something different to offer, and all contributing to the cultural revolution currently unfolding in Amsterdam.

For example, one minute I was perusing Chinese artist Evelyn Taocheng Wang’s second solo show, the Four Season of Women Tragedy at Galerie Fons Welters, and the next I was engrossed in G.O.A.T, a video by the controversial and seemingly darkly comic Dutch artist Erik van Lieshout in the Annet Gelink Gallery.

You can be trying to figure out artist Daniel Richter’s Music for Orgies oil

painting – described as “pop art mixed with existential sexual violence” by the artist himself – in the Grimm gallery one morning, before hours later you find yourself immersed in the world of Sudanese artist, painter and former politician Ibrahim El Salahi at the Prince Claus Fund Gallery.

You can see how the creativity-inducing atmosphere of Amsterdam has lured many an artist away from his or her homeland, and there will always be strong reminders of home to be found.

Huis Marseille, another gorgeous 17th Century canal house, regularly organises exhibitions and, during my visit, it played host to a special exhibition by British fashion photographer Jamie Hawkesworth – focusing on his amazing work in capturing the steady stream of transient passengers through, of all places, Preston Bus Station. And a tour around the newly-extended Stedelijk Museum saw me stumble across some stunning pieces by Scottish artist Lucy McKenzie as part of its new show Jump into the Future – Art from the 90s and 2000s – The Borgmann Donation.

McKenzie might not be a household name, and her huge mural adorning one of the Stedelijk’s walls entitled “If it Moves, Kiss it” might be on the risqué side for some, but there is something deeply satisfying about seeing a Glasgow girl going places.

With that in mind, a key part of the weekend is devoted to shining the spotlight on talent development and broadening people’s horizons.

Visitors are able to discover a new generation of international artists at the RijksakademieOPEN, which sees those talented and fortunate enough to have gained a place at the prestigious institution throw open their studio doors to visitors.

Reactions to the varied artwork and installations on display are inevitably mixed, but the creativity on show will certainly get you talking and thinking. And I think that’s the point.

Even the hotels are embracing the art scene. Around every corner of the chic Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, from the lifts to the bathrooms, guests can discover unique works of art including magical murals and sculptural furniture. Each space was designed by Dutch architect and designer Marcel Wanders, lovingly dubbed the Dutch Lady Gaga by our host, but the hotel’s piece de resistance is the quirky video art everywhere to be found.

Visitors can even flick through the artwork in the privacy of their own room – a sort of Netflix for the contemporary art connoisseur.

When it comes to culture and art, Amsterdam clearly isn’t a battleground between old and new – it plays host to both in ample measure.