Fluorescent, Contemporary & Visual Art...

Amsterdam has a host of Museums and exhibitions open to the public, there are giants such as the Rijksmuseum, Rembrant Museum and the Ann Frank House but underneath their shadows are real gems waiting to be discovered.

If you’re anything like me and desire to avoid the flood of tourist well known museums inevitably attract, the smaller and obscure museums are the way to go.

Aside from a more intimate experience and a lot more one on one time with the curators you have an opportunity to really immerse yourself in your surroundings, ponder over it and loose yourself in its meaning.

So here are my Top 3 (in no particular order):

1: Electric Lady Land – Museum of Fluorescent Art (Located in Amterdam)

On arrival you are greeted by Nick Paladiano the eccentric curator who sports a long white beard, hair tied back and is in full psychedelic gear. After paying your 5 Euro entry fee your taken down what is almost a vertical set of stairs into a small quirky room.   But do not be disappointed by the looks of it, soon after Nick guides you around explaining each artefact, painting and feature in much detail…then the good part happens, he turns off the lights and your fluorescent experience begins.

Alternating between, short and long UV light the place comes alive, its an excellent experience for the broad minded and people who want to try out something different. Its participatory art so you’re free to touch and really get stuck in.

As I left the museum with my free booklet on the magic of “black light” Nick talks about the vertical stairs and how he had a group of blind autistic school kid’s visiting his museum. A justified thought passed my mind, what on earth would be the point in that to which he replied in keeping with his image “they felt the vibes”

2. The Greenbox Museum – Saudi Contemporary Art (Located in Amsterdam)

Always poor with my orienteering skills I armed myself with a map before visiting the Greenbox. Its located in central Amsterdam yet I still managed to get lost for a good 20minutes wandering in and out of side roads until I decided to call the curator Aarnout Helb who helpfully pointed me in the right direction.

Once again it’s a small museum about the size of a large room, but Aarnout was fortunate enough to have aquired some excellent paintings from artists such as Abdulnasser al ghareem and Ahmed Mater AlÁseeri at the Edge of Arabia Exhibition 2008 before the pricework of the artists rocketed.

Just to give you an explanation, at a recent auction (Christies Dubai) a 3 meter wide wood and copper dome symbolizing the Dome of the Rock by Abdulnasser Gharem sold for $842,500 more than 3 times its original estimate.

…hard to imagine Kenyan contemporary art selling that well eh?

3. Basmoca – Visual Art (Located in your home)

While it’s not physically located in the Netherlands, its virtually placed in front of your lap by virtue of the internet. BASMOCA is a Virtual Museum can be visited from all over the world on its Second Life location, with the private collection of the female curator Basma including artists from the middle-east, China and UK it’s a real treat for a lazy day in.