Glow Eindhoven 2023 has started! Up to the 18th of November, you can enjoy amazing light art. This year's theme is ‘The Beat’. The organization describes the theme like this: "The Beat defines the rhythm of the city, the pulse of the people who live there, the buzz of our interplay with each other and the patterns of our lives". A theme that sounds engaging for us photographers. In addition, each work of light art provides its own specific challenges, as each is lit differently, and there are many moving images with continually changing exposure. So you will have to work to get good photos.
We look forward to see your photos and read your stories of Glow 2023; please feel free to post on our Facebook-page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/photowalkeindhoven
Like in recent editions, this year again features some "Satellite Projects" which are outside of the regular route of Glow. For 2023 this has been extended with “GLOWing Horizons”, light art in towns around Eindhoven:
⦁ Mierlo (at the Mill)
⦁ Geldrop (at Weverijmuseum)
⦁ Best (at the Chapel and Town hall)
⦁ Oirschot (at the monastery garden, and the church)
⦁ Waalre at Huis van Waalre
⦁ Eindhoven Airport at the arrival & departure hall.
In Eindhoven these unique satellite projects come together on the artwork on the Pullman Hotel. In this blog, only a selected artworks in Eindhoven are featured.
Some tips & practicalities:
Start early in the evening! The event starts at18:30, it usually is not yet crowded at that hour, which makes it easier to take your time for your photos. Keep in mind the end time, at 23:00 the lights a shut down.(22:00 at locations outside of Eindhoven)
Pick your own starting point! If you use public transport, it could be convenient to start at the Piazza, close to the station, but you can start anywhere you want. Select which artwork you definitely want to see, and start there, when it is less crowded,
Go on weekdays! Normally, the Monday and Tuesday evening are the least crowded, and in the weekend the evenings are the most crowded. But keep in mind, November 19th, the lights are off again.
Bookmark the map: https://gloweindhoven.nl/route/
Preparation! The total route is 5km and approx. 3 hours. Bring a tripod, but keep in mind this is not equally appreciated by some visitors. Consider going more evenings if you want to see everything; after all, it's a free event! And check the weather before going, you know how unpredictable Dutch weather can be :)
More tips can be found here: https://gloweindhoven.nl/en/practical/
A few artworks reviewed
Jasper defied last night's poor weather to provide you with a review of a few selected artworks.
13 - Blossom – Jan Smitzlaan
Here the trees are lit, which gives a special atmosphere. "The constant change of seasons inspired Studio Toer to recreate the Japanese cherry blossom that, here in De Elzent, emerges after the darkest days.” In order to phtograph this, consider where you want to stand to get the view you want, so it's useful to watch the show first to determine the best position. The show is pretty short, but challenging to photograph. (In case you don't see anything happening, wait a moment, the show will start soon)
B – Primary – Van Abbemuseum
The display Primary is a small extra route within Glow, together with Paper Trails. You can walk through the Van Abbemuseum which is lit in magenta, and there is a lot of use of sound too. Tip: try to catch the birds in the stairwell (see photo) or concentrate on the audience to seeif you can make a nice photo of people and the magenta colour.
15 – SHAPE - Stadhuisplein
"In SHAPE, you can hear, smell, and see DAF. It’s a tribute to the many designs and invented components that travel around the world from the DAF factory in Eindhoven. Dirk van Poppel and Michel Suk present the story [...]in their own unique way. Three trucks with trailers, each about 14 meters long, are set up on Stadhuisplein and portray a narrative inspired by the numerous large and small parts that power the engine. From minuscule screws to cylinder heads and robust engine blocks, these everyday objects unintentionally become artworks. With the factory orchestra as accompaniment – featuring the literal sounds of the factory floor – and the trucks as actors in the show, the beauty of the industrial world is showcased."
This resulted in a beautiful and very dynamic show.As there's a lot of motion, avoid slow shutter speeds. The show is displayed on three sides at the same time, so you can pick one. On the side closest to the city hall, there is no background above the trucks. If the pavement is wet, you can get very intersting reflections in your photo.
23 – Cityverse – Pullman Hotel Cocagne
As metioned earlier, under the name GLOWing Horizons, several satellite-shows are displayed in towns around Eindhoven. A convergence of all the projections in the villages comes to life at the Pullman Hotel Cocagne Eindhoven.
1 – Rhythm – 18 Septemberplein
This year, ASML has 2 projects during Glow.
The first one is Rhythm at 18 Septemberplein. Here, dots of light grow and evolve into interwoven DNA strains and come to life in a gigantic hart beat. A lot of animation, and also lots to see on the square. Take your time to watch and absorb all there is to see, and then decide what to photograph. A great location for very special photos.
2 – Evolution of Life - Emmasingel
"After the DNA of the previous display, life continues at the Emmasingel, with the other project of ASML. "For people and nature, water is life. In Evolution of Life water is flowing, nature is growing and there’s life in the beating heart."
This is a very large work of light art, with projections on all buildings in the street. You will need several viewpoints to record everything, but you will be rewarded with great photos. As the projections are on taller buildings, these can be seen from a distance; our tip is to photograph from further away or from a different direction; this can result in unique photos.
5 – Where are we going? - Lichtplein
"‘Where are we going?’ is not just about light art and technology, as you might suspect after a visit to the Lichtplein. Onda Studio raises some serious questions with its light artwork: ‘How aware are you of yourself and your place on Earth, what are your next steps, and where do you ultimately want to go?’"
It is about our course in the world, our decisions and how these are influenced by technology. This is interactive: You can operate the screens by by pointing your phone to the screens. This makes it more challenging to photograph as you have to use your camera and phone simutanously. Tip: Tip: ask a friend for a helping hand, to operate the screen you want to capture. Experimentation is key here.
6 – Explosion light Organ - Lichtstraat
Pops and explosions at Victoriapark! 3 large beams of light shine towards the sky; on the ground there is smoke coloured by various lamps. It provides a mysterious atmosphere which challenges you to experiment, zoom in or out, etc.
7 Grand Mix – Wilhelminaplein
It's party time at Wilhelminaplein! On several buildings there are AI-generated 10-minute shows with historical figures dancing, singing, etc. A lot of moving images, and changing exposures, again a challenge to shoot. There's a good chance that people in the audience will dance too; see if you can use this for your photos.
Also, look behind you, at the other side of the square the show is also visible.
Then continue though the Heilige Geeststraat or Prins Hendrikstraat: several windows of houses are lit and this gives a very nice mood for photos.
This is the end of this post, but there is a lot more to explore and photograph at Glow 2023. We are very curious about your experience and photos from Glow. If you want, you can post these on our Facebook-group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/photowalkeindhoven
Text and photos: Jasper, translation and edit: Jacques
Add comment
Comments