passersby activate dynamic projections in matthias oostrik’s light installation in amsterdam

‘het licht van jan (jan’s light)’ by matthias oostrik is a new, permanent light installation located in an industrial traffic underpass near amsterdam’s city center. made of steel and concrete, the public artwork interacts with passersby, who activate surging light projections to illuminate the narrow sidewalk and weathered walls of the underpass. these undulating projections echo amsterdam’s history, recreating the reflections of sunbeams on the water, now replaced by artificial islands. 

all images by gert jan van rooij

video by michel boulogne

matthias oostrik’s ‘het licht van jan’ is activated by pedestrians who walk on the narrow sidewalks of the kattenburgerstraat underpass. in the darkest parts of the tunnel, they trigger bright projections of light. on the aged tile walls, beams of light move along with the pedestrians, while on the sidewalk, waves of light gently sway towards them.

to create the dynamic projections that move with the passersby, the installation uses a surprisingly simple arrangement of steel grates and widely spaced lights. the projections, three on either side of the road, are created by shining a row of ultra-bright lights through a series of custom-designed grates. the shadows of the unique grates interact to create moiré patterns, producing entirely different effects on both the wall and the floor. in stark contrast with the existing warm, almost orange streetlights, the projections use cold white light.

project info:

name: het licht van jan (jan’s light)

artist: matthias oostrik

location: amsterdam, the netherlands

commissioned by: the city of amsterdam

supported by: amsterdam fund for the arts

technical design and construction: spectro productions

LED technology: invent design

construction: j. boonzaaijer aannemingsbedrijf