Amsterdam Light Festival #10

Both a world-renowned event and a much-anticipated local highlight, the Amsterdam Light Art Festival lights up the city of Amsterdam every winter since 2012. Beyond its sparkle and prestige, the festival invests in the future of light art each year by issuing an open call for emerging talent, and by commissioning established artists from all over the globe.

We were founded by the Amsterdam Light Art Festival Foundation in 2017 as a means for the resulting artworks to be preserved, documented, and exhibited worldwide after each festival ends, in a strategic circular model founded on a shared passion for light art.

Normally, the Festival brings new pieces into our collection every year. But for the 10th anniversary of the Amsterdam Light Art Festival, it was our chance to reverse roles: by bringing back the Festival’s most beloved pieces in an unprecedented time.

A cozy celebration

The 10th edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival was our biggest retrospective yet, with 90% of exhibited artworks coming from our collection. It was incredibly rewarding to present all the artworks in their original context once more, reviving public favorites from the last 10 years.

Even the pandemic lockdown of 2020 couldn’t prevent this edition from being our most rewarding showcase ever. Though the artworks could only be accessed on foot due to Covid restrictions, people sharing cups of hot chocolate and mulled wine as they walked together more than made up for the lack of boat tours, with plenty of the cozy atmosphere—gezelligheid—that Amsterdam is known for.

Without the usual influx of tourists over the winter holidays, this edition was a truly local celebration shared with Amsterdam residents who witnessed the festival grow and evolve throughout a decade. We cherished this special occasion to celebrate our roots, our purpose, and our future, among the people who know and love our light art works best.