Interactive Art Museum and Gallery
If you take a trip to Amsterdam, take some time out to visit the unique Fluorescent Art Museum and Gallery. Most art venues subscribe to the look but don’t touch approach, but this extraordinary Museum actively encourages visitors to become part of the displays and installations. Opened in April 1999, this is the only museum of its kind in the world, dedicated to the art of Fluorescence.
Displays
The Museum houses several large displays of black-light sensitive objects and minerals – when black light hits the surface of the objects and minerals, they become fluorescent artworks. One of the major displays is so big, that it has a variety of views, shapes, tones and details which visitors can explore by either walking through it, sitting under it, or curling up in it . The whole piece is alive with an eye-watering range of colours and you become part of the display. The simplest of objects can have a flourescent makeover, for instance, rock samples change into a dazzling array of metallic pinks, heart stopping reds, electric blues and neon oranges when lit with black light. There’s a lot to see and experience here, with the advantage of having universal appeal to all age groups. It’s hippy, acid and very cool!
Nick Padalino and Michele Delage are the founders and creators of the Museum and the Electric Ladyland Art Gallery. It’s easy to spend an afternoon in this unique environment, with Nick and Michele providing a personal and enthusiastic tour of their work. They also offer demonstrations and shorts talks on fluorescent mineral artworks from the 1950′s and the role that fluorescence has played in Geology and Oceanography.
The museum was recently visited by Catherine Thomson, on a short break from job hunting. Catherine picked out the Museum as one of her “must do’s” in Amsterdam and having seen it, wanted to recommend it to other visitors. Thank you for this one and the photograph too!
Museum Location
The museum and art gallery, housed in the same building, can be found in the Jordaan quarter, close to Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk at Tweede Leliedwarsstraat 5, 1015 TB Amsterdam.
