Living behind dikes for centuries, the Dutch have no fear of the water surrounding them. They take dry feet for granted, not always realizing how much is needed to keep it that way. The artwork ‘Waterlicht’ by designer Daan Roosegaarde confronts the Amsterdam population these days with reality. A virtual flooding of Museumplein in the city centre simulates how high the water would reach without human intervention.
Yesterday evening the square between Rijksmuseum and Concertgebouw was filled with people who came to admire Roosegaarde’s new project, consisting of wavy lines of blue light made with the latest LED technology, software and lenses. Some 2,5 meters above the ground the virtual waves represented the level of the water in case the city would be flooded. Through Silent Disco headphones – distributed for free – the public was spoken to by Roosegaarde who stressed the importance and the innovative character of the Dutch defence against the water.
‘Waterlicht’ was first created for the Dutch Waterboard Rijn & IJssel in Westervoort. In Amsterdam the artwork celebrates the recent acquisition by Rijksmuseum of the 17th century painting ‘The dike-burst of the St Anthonis dike near Amsterdam’ by Jan Asselijn. The enchanting virtual flood can be seen once more tonight, 13 May, between 22.00 and 24.00 hours.