AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL:

THE NACHTLOERRRRDERS

Meet Disco Juan, Foxephant, Slurk and Purple Ghost. Just a few of the creations of a collaboration with over 800 Amsterdam school children. Strange new nocturnal animal eyes appear behind the famed ARTIS zoo in this light installation in answer to the theme ‘Disrupt!’ for the 2019 Amsterdam Light Festival.

If you happened to walk by the ARTIS zoo during the wintry nights of November 2019 to January 2020, after the zoo animals had gone to sleep, you would see these creatures coming out to play.

If you happened to walk by the ARTIS zoo during the wintry nights of November 2019 to January 2020, after the zoo animals had gone to sleep, you would see these creatures coming out to play.

Over 800 pairs of night creature’s eyes were on display. Each designed by a different child.

Over 800 pairs of night creature’s eyes were on display. Each designed by a different child.

The eye’s movements and colors reflected what the children thought their creature’s personalities would be.

The eye’s movements and colors reflected what the children thought their creature’s personalities would be.

But first, the team had to develope workshops and a Scratch program that allowed the children to digitise and animate the animal eyes. To kick it off, we created a complimentary workbook to guide the children through the project.

But first, the team had to develope workshops and a Scratch program that allowed the children to digitise and animate the animal eyes. To kick it off, we created a complimentary workbook to guide the children through the project.

Each child attended three workshops to create their artwork. The first, was an introduction to light art and the festival. The second taught the science of nocturnal animals and evolution, and ended in the creative concepting of their own evolved animal.

Each child attended three workshops to create their artwork. The first, was an introduction to light art and the festival.

The second taught the science of nocturnal animals and evolution, and ended in the creative concepting of their own evolved animal.

The final workshop was a programming and animation workshop developed by the team using Scratch.

The final workshop was a programming and animation workshop developed by the team using Scratch.

When all the workshops were completed, over two hours of Nachtloerrrders were added to the sequence. The sequencing of their appearance was designed to be disruptive. They appeared across the installations randomly so you had to keep your wits about you to spot the next eyes appearing, just like trying to spot nocturnal animals in the wild.

When all the workshops were completed, over two hours of Nachtloerrrders were added to the sequence. The sequencing of their appearance was designed to be disruptive. They appeared across the installations randomly so you had to keep your wits about you to spot the next eyes appearing, just like trying to spot nocturnal animals in the wild.

 

Creative Directors: Wendy Richardson, Lee Boulton
Creatives: KC Hong, Jan-Willem De Man
Dutch Author: Frenkel Schonfeld
Programmer: Gabor Szalatnyai
Producer: Nili Zadok
Brand Director: Angelina Joy