Amsterdam Light Festival: Water Colors canal cruise

Even a beautiful city like Amsterdam needs a little help in the winter. The sun disappears for days on end, and what little light there is fades to black as 3 or 4 p.m. I need a good incentive to brave the cold and dark, to go out and see the city—and I know I’m not the only one. Thankfully, there’s the Amsterdam Light Festival.

Now on its third year, the Amsterdam Light Festival turns the city into an open-air gallery of public art: sculptures, installations, and projections from artists all over the world, all made with light. From over 260 submissions, 39 artworks were chosen to lend Amsterdam a bit of color and brightness in the dark winter months.

There are three ways to enjoy the Amsterdam Light Festival. To go on foot or by bicycle, you can book a guided tour called Illuminade. There’s also a boat route called Water Colors, which is offered by several canal cruise companies from several departure points in the city center.

I went on a Water Colors boat tour and loved it! I didn’t get to take pictures of all the installations (and honestly, some were better than others), but here are some of my favorite artworks from the tour. The first is Light Bridge, an ode to the bridges of Amsterdam by local design studio Tjep. It’s interactive and reacts to movements on the street and on the water.

Rising from the dark canals like a ghostly mangrove forest, Arborescence by Loop.pH (UK) looks both futuristic and organic.

Everyone on the boat fell silent as we sailed beneath the floating circles of Effervescence by Geraud Periole. Simple yet stunning.

Inspired by the Mobius strip, Circle of Life by Amsterdam-based architect Rob van Houten turns a symbol of eternity into an entryway for the rush of people flowing into the city.

Seeing this man and woman together on the bridge, I couldn’t help but think: mood lighting, the romantic Amsterdam canals, and a ring? All the ingredients for a perfect proposal. I sense a missed opportunity here!

See more masterpieces of light after the jump, plus a few tips for enjoying the Amsterdam Light Festival this winter.

The oversized Intrepid, the Paper Boat by Katja Galjuk/City Light (the Netherlands) is a playful reference to the historic maritime glory of the Dutch empire.

Symbolizing transformation, a cloud of butterflies soar On The Wings of Freedom by Aether & Hemera (Italy).

In Mirrorings, French designer and architect Jacques Rival uses LED lights and mirrors to create a wind spinner floating above the waters of the Amstel River.

And New Zealand-based architect/light artist Angus Muir simply has Water Fun with floating, color-changing spheres of light.

A few tips for enjoying the Amsterdam Light Festival this winter:

Going on a boat tour? Dress warmly as it gets chilly on the water.
The Water Colors canal cruise takes about 75 minutes. Most of the evening canal cruises leave at 7 or 8 p.m.; times vary per canal cruise operator.
For an early departure, the Blue Boat Company on Stadhouderskade, in front of the Heineken Experience has a boat tour that leaves at 6 p.m.
Depending on your walking pace, the Illuminade walking tour takes approximately 90 minutes.
Want to bring the kids? It gets dark as early as 3 to 4 p.m. in December, so you can start early, see a few installations, and still be home before dinner and bedtime.
Technical problems arise now and then, so you may miss out on one or two artworks. Don’t worry as there is still lots to see!

The Amsterdam Light Festival runs until 18 January 2015. For more information on the Illuminade walking route or Water Colors boat cruise, visit the Amsterdam Light Festival website. Visiting from out of town? Book a hotel, B&B or apartment on venere.com.

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