Art in Amsterdam: A guide to the galleries, museums and exhibitions in the Dutch capital

By Yvette Caster, Freelance journalist and podcaster

Tuesday 18 Dec 2018 8:00 am

Are you going to the fun cock museum? the waiter asks.

Amsterdam is hardly known for being shy, with its red light district and Sexmuseum, but this ones new to me. I look at him quizzically.

Vun koch, he repeats, the sunflowers?

The first thing I learn about the Amsterdam art scene is that Ive been pronouncing the name of its most famous son all wrong. And, later, that if you want to get into the Van Gogh Museum, its best to book your tickets online in advance.

But theres a lot more here for art-lovers than Vince and his iconic blooms.

Whether youre after old masters, new galleries or street art theres creativity in abundance.

Celebrating the opening of a new wing, the Van Gogh museum installed a maze of 100.000 sun flowers in Museumplein, Amsterdam. — Sunflowers outside the Van Gogh museum (Picture: Getty)

Head to Museumplein early to avoid the crowds – although youre unlikely to ever find it quiet due to the big-hitters, aka the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum, plus the excellent Moco Museum.

Key works at the Van Gogh Museum are Self-portrait As A Painter, The Bedroom and Sunflowers.

There is also an exhibition featuring the works of Gauguin and Laval at the museum until Sunday, January 13.

Tickets cost £16 – you have to book a time slot on the museum website.

The Rijksmuseum is the impressive building beside the giant I Amsterdam letters, which you should also get to early if you are Instagram-inclined.

Unmissable paintings include Vermeers The Milkmaid, Rembrandts The Night Watch (technically called the less memorable Militia Company Of District II Under The Command Of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq) and self portraits, although the whole place is a timeline of Dutch art.

Tickets cost from £16 – you can book them here and get them on your phone.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, international museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design. — Head to Stedelijk Museum for modern and contemporary art (Picture: Getty)

Stedelijk Museum features international pieces by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Rothko and Picasso, plus theres a few Van Goghs too.

Highlights for me were photos by Cindy Sherman and Diane Arbus, Yves Kleins Resonance, classic Warhol pop art and a recreation of a bar during the Vietnam War by Edward Kienholz called The Beanery.

Theres also a red escalator that takes you up to Orwell quotes and a cinema showing works including Tracey Emins Why I Never Became A Dancer.

A temporary exhibition of Lily Van Der Stokkers doodle-inspired creations, called Friendly Good, is on until February 24.

You can buy tickets for £16, here.

Moco Museum is a smaller but equally unmissable addition to the area. The pink house is home to Keith Harings Subway, a Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin, Jeff Koons Balloon Venus, and a shed load of Banksys.

Theres also a fun Lichtenstein room and sculpture garden. You can download the museums app while youre there to see some of the works dance about and such.

Tickets cost £11.

While youre in this area, check out some small modern art galleries such as Jaski Gallery, Gallery Delaive, Flatland Gallery and Okker Art Gallery, all less than 10 minutes walk from the Rijksmuseum.

For a nose inside a 17th century canal house, with plenty of paintings, try Museum Van Loon, (tickets £9) or for photography head to Foam (tickets £10).

The fashionable Jordaan district is home to many small, modern galleries you can browse for free and possibly buy something (even if your budget only stretches to a postcard).

The Amsterdam canal system is the result of conscious city planning. In the early 17th century, when immigration was at a peak, a comprehensive plan was developed that was based on four concentric half-circles of canals with their ends emerging at the IJ bay. — Homes by the canal in Jordaan (Picture: Getty)

I found Go Gallery a very friendly place, and it will be displaying a Disney and older masters-inspired exhibition by RJ Halls called I F***ed Mickey until mid January.

A few streets along, KochxBocs has an exhibition starring works by Claire Partington, Ray Caesar and Zoe Byland.

Other galleries within walking distance include the Suzanne Biederberg Gallery, Torch Gallery, Annet Gelink Gallery and Galerie Fons Welters.

One highlight for me in this area was The Electric Ladyland – Fluorescent Art Museum, a basement gallery with a £5 entry fee and a slot which must be booked in advance.

Youll either love or hate this unique basement run by eccentric/artistic hippies – I thought it was great.

Further out, in the Nieuw-West district, you can take a two-hour tour of local street art with the Street Art Museum Amsterdam tour, which includes 200 pieces and costs £14.

Street art in Amsterdam Nord (Picture: Yvette Caster)

Fans of street art should also head over on the ferry to Amsterdam Nord, where many artists have studios and theres plenty of colour.

Its mostly based round NDSM wharf, a slightly bleak former shipyard, where you can pay to get into a huge flea market or just admire the art outside.

A huge street art museum, called Lasloods, is also set to open here in 2019.

Thanks to this, and quirky spots such as Noorderlicht Cafe and Cafe de Ceuvel, the area looks set to become even more of a hit next year.

Where to stay in Amsterdam and how to get there:

I stayed at Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, a few minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal train station, across the square.

It had the vague feel of spa – theres flavoured water on reception, pleasant scents spritzed into the air as you enter and Elemis smellies.

This was paired with a smart and serious black and gold colour scheme.

Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam (Picture: Park Plaza)

One highlight was the food – I had a preview of dishes from Carstens, a brasserie set to open next year serving traditional Dutch food with a twist, using ingredients from local farms and breweries.

My favourite dishes were the chopped steak with cheese and chives, shrimp and local Dutch cheeses – more adventurous souls may wish to try smoked eel and calfs tongue.

The hotel bar, Vics, had a solid range of gin cocktails and, of course, the absinthe-based Vincent Van Gogh.

Theres also great food and a stylish party atmosphere next door at 5&33, where I enjoyed the steak and chocolate fondant.

Rooms at Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam cost from £159 per night.

I flew with easyJet from London Stansted to Amsterdam Schipol then took a train to Amsterdam Centraal.

Flights run three to four times a day and cost from £40.55 return.

Return train tickets to the airport cost from £9.60 from The Trainline.

Where to stay in London before you travel:

I stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted Airport – within walking distance of the terminal.

The design is attractive – built around its Wine Tower Bar you can people-watch, have a drink or shuffle off to your room depending how sociable youre feeling.

It also has a small gym and swimming pool.

You can book via Holiday Extras, which also sells parking, lounge entrance and insurance, from £87 per night online or on 0800 1313 777.

(Top image: Getty)

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