Video: Daan Roosegaarde's organic firework show SPARK to open in Leeuwarden on Nov. 2
SPARK, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde’s answer to the question of what would happen if fireflies were fireworks, will make its Dutch premiere in Leeuwarden in November, Studio Roosegaarde announced. The studio described SPARK as “a poetic performance of biodegradable light sparks which organically float through the air.”
The artist hopes that the presentation can inspire new, exciting alternatives to fireworks, balloons, drones and confetti. "Through a combination of design and technology, thousands of light sparks made of biodegradable materials are moved silently by the ever-changing wind; inspired by fireflies, flocks of birds, and the galaxy of stars,” the studio said.
“SPARK is a place of wonder which shows a new sustainable alternative of celebrating together,” artist Daan Roosegaarde said. When the event debuted in Bilbao, Spain, the show covered an area of 50 x 30 x 50 meters. The studio promotes the show as a way of giving people a sense of connectivity with each other, and with nature, while encouraging visitors to pause and reflect on the moment.
In a 2014 interview with NL Times, Roosegaarde said, “As long as I continue to be that little boy, in awe of the magic world around him, I will be able to keep doing what I want to do." That was shortly after the highly praised debut of his glowing bicycle path inspired by Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night.
Six years ago, Roosegaarde also turned the 32-kilometer Afsluitdijk into a light installation that only illuminates when vehicles are on the road, simultaneously dazzling travellers, while reducing light pollution. His interactive light exhibition, Presence, also brought tens of thousands of people to the Groninger Museum in 2019.
SPARK will be in Leeuwarden on November 2, 3, and 4. It won the Dutch Creativity Awards in 2022 and three Lovie Awards after previous exhibitions in Bilbao, Aix-en-Provence, Madrid, Auckland, Jordan, Melbourne, and London.
