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Amsterdam Light Festival - Spoonful 

WHAT WE DID

Project Engineering

Arts & Culture
CATEGORY
CLIENT
Amsterdam Light Festival & Studio Kumquat

About the Project

The story


 A massive, luminous spoon gleams against the winter sky in the heart of Amsterdam's historic canal belt. Spanning 6 meters with 14 meters of outline, this remarkable installation transforms the city's waterways into an ethereal bowl of soup, celebrating Amsterdam's 750-year history of shared meals and cultural connection.

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