The well-known text sign of ‘I Amsterdam’ for the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (and that one at Schiphol) will probably be gone in a few months. GreenLeft, the biggest and ruling party of the city, say they no longer think of the sign as appropriate, mainly because the slogan stands for individualism and the party thinks that Amsterdam should look and stand for something that resembles ‘solidarity’ (Wamsterdam, you heard it here first)
The end of Iamsterdam (and we like it)
‘GroenLinks’ also wants that the slogan is no longer used for city marketing. Which we at DutchReview think is a good idea, actually, if it’s up to us; city marketing in Amsterdam should be stopped when it’s about tourism. There are plenty of tourists already in Amsterdam and Iamsterdam is using public money to compete with private and awesome magazines such as the legendary DutchReview (click it! It’s all good). The GreenLeft party has submitted policy plans in the Amsterdam council to remove the letters and such. The city council will vote on the policy plans next month. It seems that it will get a majority.
The slogan in red and white, over 2 meters high and 23 meters wide, is popular with tourists as a photo object. It is always very busy and just one of those touristy things.
The Soul of Amsterdam
The removal of the letters does not lead to far fewer tourists according to GroenLinks group chairman Femke Roosma. “We take other measures for that,” she says in Het Parool. “This proposal is about the soul of Amsterdam.”