Although we've advanced a bit into the new year, I'd still like to wish you a happy 2009! We're absolutely packed with new plans, ideas and ambitions so we're ready to make it a highly successful year! Obviously, I hope to continue the good collaboration by regularly informing you, mainly through my newsletters, press releases or special themes like for instance the already much talked about art project Holland Art Cities (http://www.hollandartcities.com/). If you, on the other hand, need information on a subject, plan to visit Holland or just require some inspiration, don't hesitate to contact me! Hereby, I send you this year's first newsletter. Feel free to use it for publications or reference. Note that hi-resolution pictures to support your articles can be obtained.

With best regards,

Martijn Balzer,

Press & PR
mbalzer@holland.com   

Holland's second largest city starts the new year traditionally in an artistic way. In 2009, Art Rotterdam celebrates its 10 year anniversary.  From 5 - 8 February, the old Cruise Terminal building of the Holland America Line will once again be the stage for this internationally renowned art fair. Art Rotterdam is one of the most energetic art fairs for contemporary arts in Europe. The fair will keep you up to date with the latest developments in contemporary arts and will provide a perfect way to discover fresh talent. 75 galleries from ten different countries will present their most exciting artists. During the fair, the city of Rotterdam hosts several other cultural activities. The Kunsthal presents a large-scale retrospective of Giacommeti and Center for contemporary art Witte the With hosts a large-scale exhibition trilogy of Ian Wallace. Also, the international fair for autonomous design, Object Rotterdam, will take place in the nearby Las Palmas. At Object Rotterdam you can find the latest developments in unique, or limited edition functional objects of international designers.

Discover Amsterdam in a splashing new way! During the spring of 2009, the Amsterdam-based Boat Company Lovers will launch the amphibious bus Floating Dutchman in cooperation with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This tour has been specially developed for transfer passengers with a transfer time of 5 hours or more, and offers them the possibility to discover Amsterdam in a very spectacular way. The Floating Dutchman offers a tour which starts at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and travels through the canals of Amsterdam's city centre, before returning to the airport within approximately 3 hours. Passengers will stay on board of the amphibious bus for the entire duration of the tour. The amphibious bus first drives to the Oosterdok, in the centre of Amsterdam, where it enters the water with a ‘splash'. From there, the cruise takes about 45 minutes and takes you along the world famous Amsterdam canals. Audio guides are available to get a good impression of the country and the city. A ticket for this tour will cost about €40. The Floating Dutchman tour is not exclusively for transfer passengers. Anyone interested in experiencing the Floating Dutchman tour is welcome to buy a ticket for this splashing way to experience Amsterdam at our office at Schiphol Plaza.

Beatles-singer John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono spend seven days in bed in room 902 (now 702) of the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel during their honeymoon in March 1969. During this so-called Bed-in for Peace they address the international press on the issues of world peace and the war in Vietnam. This action made the front page of newspapers all over the world. Fourty years later, their historical deed is put in perspective with three photographic exhibitions. From Holland with Peace is shown at the Hilton Hotel from March 21 to 29.

Also in March, another exhibition on this theme takes place in Amsterdam at Galerie Moderne, displaying a series of newly recovered photographs of the Bed-In. During his visit to the Hilton, John Lennon gave Dutch photo journalist Nico Koster time in abundance to make a unique photographic document of the Bed-In. But the pictures of this exclusive photoshoot never saw the light of day as the negatives mysteriously disappeared. Only last month, almost fourty years later to the date, the photograhper's daughter found the long lost negatives in a box with old childhood photo's. Finally, they will be shown to the public.

It was the most talked-about Dutch fashion initiative in a long time, a project not without its fair share of controversy. Red Light Fashion Amsterdam (RLFA), the showrooms for young Dutch fashion designers in the middle of Amsterdam's red light district, was supposed to end at the beginning of 2009. However, because of the huge success of the project, RLFA will be extended for at least another six months. A joint initiative between fashion recruitment and consultancy agency HTNK, building corporation NV Stadsgoed and the City of Amsterdam, the project continues to fascinate the public both locally and internationally. Red Light Fashion Amsterdam has been incredibly beneficial in promoting the work of the designers involved and has no doubt been a major conversation topic in Holland and abroad during 2008.