Amsterdam Light Festival - Spoonful

project credits

Design: Studio Kumquat

Supplying & Engineering: OneEightyOne

Control: DiGidot

Arts & Culture

location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

About the Project

The story

For the Amsterdam Light Festival, Spoonful by Studio Kumquat transformed the city's historic canals with a striking illuminated sculpture. Suspended above the water, the monumental six-metre spoon became a captivating light art installation, inviting visitors to reflect on Amsterdam's rich history of togetherness, hospitality, and shared meals as the city celebrates its 750th anniversary.

OneEightyOne was responsible for translating the artistic concept into a reliable custom LED lighting solution. Through precision engineering, fabrication, and lighting integration, the installation achieved a clean, uniform illumination that emphasized the sculpture's elegant form. The result is a memorable public artwork that combines creative storytelling with innovative lighting technology, enriching the Amsterdam Light Festival experience for visitors from around the world.

THE
PROCESS

The technical mastery behind this seemingly simple design is anything but basic. The structure consists of four precisely bent tube sections, welded together to create the spoon's graceful curve. Along this framework runs the Tubeflex 360, a specialized LED system that bathes the sculpture in a warm 3000K white light, achieving a perfect 360-degree illumination with remarkable color accuracy. The entire display is orchestrated by the DiGidot C4 Extended controller, a sophisticated piece of hardware that enables the subtle lighting variations that bring the installation to life.

The challenge was creating something that could withstand Amsterdam's winter conditions while maintaining the delicate aesthetic we envisioned," Tom Guillen notes. The IP68-rated lighting system ensures the installation remains brilliant despite the elements, while the silicon housing of the Tubeflex system maintains flexibility in temperatures as low as -15°C.

The artwork also required a fixture that could withstand prolonged immersion, as the tip of the spoon sits within the water, appearing to scoop up a bowl of soup. OneEightyOne’s 360 Tubeflex met these criteria perfectly