For Presence, at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, artist Daan Roosegaarde transformed a gallery into an immersive, digitally mediated universe where visitors interact with their environment in unique — and often unpredictable — ways. In one room, they roll tiny luminous bulbs, which leave a trail of light on the ground. In another, they wade through a pond of digital stardust that scatters at their feet. And in yet another, they get up from the floor only to discover that their shadow has detached from their body and is still lying in repose behind them. The experience is magical, but Roosegaarde has a larger point to stress: As humans, we make a profound impression on our environment, even if the nature of that impact often evades our full understanding.
Project Presence Location Groningen, Netherlands Firm Studio Roosegaarde (Netherlands) Team Daan Roosegaarde and his team in collaboration with Sue-an van der Zijpp and Mark Wilson (Groninger Museum) Photos Studio Roosegaarde