Program in 2024
Paul Vendel &
Sandra de Wolf
About the artist
Artists Paul Vendel (1964) and Sandra de Wolf (1966) met during their studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and have been working ever since. Their work, mostly installations, is often located in (semi) public spaces and is usually made especially for that location. The artists favour the use of recognisable and existing objects or materials. For Vendel and De Wolf their work does not have to be instantly recognisable as art, they strive to appeal to a wide audience.
About the artwork
Fire! Few words are able to grab people’s attention like ‘fire’. Still, they don’t always flee the scene. Someone once told me that when there’s a big fire you see animals running away. People, on the other hand, are attracted by the flames. Our curiosity draws us towards the blaze.
With the installation Sign we can see tongues of fire rising metres into the air. This captivating illusion, designed by the artist duo of Vendel & De Wolf, consists of bamboo poles covered with aluminium tape. When you point a light on them, the poles are transformed into a mass of flickering flames. The night air lights up in a spray of sparks. It’s a frightening and fascinating sight. And not just because flames are so spectacular. It’s also because fire equals destruction. And destruction leads to new beginnings.
Fire turns sand into glass, dough into bread. It razes forests and makes the soil fertile at the same time. Fire can change everything in one fell swoop. And while you can run away from something like that – like a scaredy-cat – you can also step forward and embrace the new beginning. Maybe that’s why they called this work ‘Sign’. It’s a starting signal. Surrender to the blaze, stare into the flames of change.
Ralf Westerhof
About the artist
Ralf Westerhof (1977) started his creative career as a theatre scenographer and a visual artist creating several kinetic sculptures. These spatial drawings, inspired by Egon Schiele, are made of hand-bent wires that retain their shape through a number of vertical lines that hang from a mobile. In 2014, he took part in the Amsterdam Light Festival and this resounding performance enabled him to subsequently realize a series of new productions and exhibitions all over Europe, as well as in Asia and South America.
About the artwork
Drawn in Light is a large sculpture made of stainless steel. In this installation, the metal wire is hand bent into a monumental house and the elements around it (trees, light posts, people, etc), together forming a recognizable image.
These metal wires reflect light and are therefore visible during the dark winter nights. As the installation rotates in an orbit, the result is a continuously moving, ever changing, layered, light-emitting line drawing in the dark sky.
When artist Ralf Westerhof submitted his idea for Edition #2 of Amsterdam Light Festival, he was asked to make his artwork double the size. Since then, his career has gotten a boost!
Light Art Collection
The light art for the 2024 edition of Glød is rented through Light Art Collection. At the core of its collection is a selection of artworks that were commissioned by and created for Amsterdam Light Festival. Continuously being added to, the collection is the largest of its kind in the world.
Light Art Collection wants to connect, enlighten and move people all over the world through the universal language of light art. Founded in 2017, the organisation distinguishes itself for its renowned light art collection, its focus on thoughtful curating, tailored consulting and an extensive track-record in producing light art installations for large audiences.
