2020
Neon Flex LED lighting, LED pixel controller, aluminum, concrete, steel cabling
366.54” x 421.65”
Commissioned by Amsterdam Light Festival and sponsored by the City of Amsterdam, Labyrinth transforms the shore of Amsterdam’s Sloterplas into an eerie post-apocalyptic landscape. A spider, mutated to giant proportions by toxic chemicals, has woven a huge web along the lake.
Inspired by research that found that web patterns become deformed when spiders are exposed to toxins, Labyrinth combines this finding with science fiction, post-apocalyptic film and mythology to create a speculative vision that examines real environmental issues.
The web visualizes nitrogen oxide levels, measured throughout the city by Amsterdam Public Health Service’s air quality monitoring stations, in colored light. The distorted shape of the web is based on the city plan of Amsterdam, thus forming a color-coded map of air quality in the city. The web displays data from before and during coronavirus, with the evolving colors illustrating improvements in air quality during lockdown due in large part to reduced car traffic.
The title Labyrinth refers to the maze-like shape of the web and the multiple paths, both systemic and individual, we must follow in our fight against pollution. The title also alludes to mythology, a source of inspiration for Labyrinth that adds meaning and depth to the web. Spider webs play a role in certain creation myths, representing the universe’s creation, destruction, and re-birth. The web of Labyrinth is a microcosm of this cycle, with the web serving as both a reminder of nature’s creative beauty and a warning of the destruction that awaits if pollution levels remain unchecked.
Video by Amsterdam Light Festival (English)
Video by Amsterdam Light Festival (Dutch)
AT5 article and interview (Dutch, video starts 02:52)
Blog by Amsterdam Light Festival
All photos by Janus van den Eijnden