Meet the Artist Delighting Amsterdam

In the spring of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Amsterdam’s ever-bustling Dam Square was deserted, quiet and surrounded by concrete counter-terrorism blocks. Dutch street artist Frank de Ruwe, who goes by the name Frankey, decided that these terrifying studded blocks resembled something more innocent – ​​giant Lego blocks – and that the city needed something to lighten the gloom.

The result? Later that summer, Frankey created and installed a giant yellow-and-black Lego figure of Dutch folk singer André Hazes, whose songs have been bar favorites in the Netherlands for more than 40 years.

“It’s about seeing the right thing,” Frankey said recently over a cup of coffee in his Amsterdam neighborhood. “I think everyone was looking for a little bit of positive news during these dark days.”

Frankey continues to surprise Amsterdam with his whimsical, witty street art. Yes, every Saturday he publishes a new piece in the Dutch newspaper Het Paroolalso on Instagram, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He transforms any unassuming spot in the city – a street sign, an oddly shaped brick, a ledge – into something more playful. You will certainly encounter his work during a visit to Amsterdam.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In the press your street artworks are called ‘urban interventions’. What does that term mean to you?

I just want to make people laugh with my work, that’s the greater good. A 6 year old and a 90 year old can laugh at the same thing; it’s amazing that you can brighten someone’s day with just one item. It’s so easy to be a little friendlier on the street, and I think I’m doing that. And if people want to call them urban interventions, that’s fine with me. It feels a bit like a buzzword, but people have been making fun things to brighten up the streets for centuries – it’s always been there. I’m just one of those guys who does that too.

Is it legal to leave your art on the street?

No. It’s illegal. I do have some rules for myself, because I love Amsterdam very much. I don’t want to damage the city at all, so any pieces I create can be removed quite easily without leaving any damage. I work a lot with magnets and tie-wraps; I probably own every type of double sided tape in the world. Sometimes I may not know how to build a piece without using screws, kits or whatever. Then it becomes a fun challenge to connect it in such a way that it is safe and people can easily remove it. But it’s still illegal.

Sometimes the streets are simply cleaned, and the cleaner does not even notice that there was a work of art in the first place. There is also a group of people who collect the art to sell online because they think my work is worth some money. But what I really like is that I have seen government vehicles with my work on their dashboard. So they removed it, but kept it as a trophy. But if people want to take it with them or take it home, that’s fine with me. I think it’s a win-win situation. Even when it’s gone.

What is your method for placing your pieces on the street?

I always do it during the day. And I wear an orange jacket with fluorescent stripes, so I look like a man who works for the municipality. When I’m doing a big stretch and need some space, I take some orange traffic cones with me. It’s been my method for twenty years and I still get away with it.

It’s just a sheet of paper with a lot of stamps on it, saying: “I, Frank de Ruwe, give permission to Street Art Frankey to post such-and-such…” But it looks somewhat official because of the layout and because I always add something to it, many attachments. You’ve got an officer standing there with all these papers, all with date stamps – which, by the way, say ‘Frankey official’ around the date – and they’re thinking, ‘If it has a stamp on it, it must be official.’ The same goes for the orange jacket.

You have made so many pieces. Which one is your favorite?

I was really proud that I could make our former mayor of Paradiso, the music venue. The best musicians in the world have played there. It’s an old church, right in the city center – it’s a cultural temple. When I heard that it might not remain a music venue forever, I thought that wasn’t possible! It’s such a part of Amsterdam. And our former mayor Eberhard van der Laan, who was so popular, also loved art and culture.

So I made a little bronze statue of him, and he sits on top of Paradiso, holding the building and protecting it with a little smile. And every time I go there, I look up and say, “Yes, this is a good place, protect that building.” I have a lot of pieces that I don’t look at as I pass them. But I’m really proud of that.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter for expert tips on smarter travel and inspiration for your next holiday. Are you dreaming of a future getaway or are you just traveling in an easy chair? Check out our 52 places to go in 2024.