Paths Crossing

160 x 25 x 6 meters, Stainless Steel and Electro Luminescent Wire
An enormous installation for the Amsterdam Light Festival 2015-2016 stretching over 160 meters of canal. The work tell a story of a few lives that cross paths. Each line is one color and represents one person, in this way they tell the tale abstractly, line a line graph. Lines come closer or part, they have highs and lows. In the beginning we see new lives emerge and find each other, some kid moves away and a new one joins the group. Six times the lines together form a figurative scene, the first is of kids playing football on the street. One line becomes the ball, the other the goal, one the kicker and one the goalkeeper. Then life continues, first love, a surfing trip with friends, drinks at the bar, a shared house, slowly life unfolds and starts again.
This project received quite some attention on TV and in newspapers. The National TV "Kunstuur" item that was made can be found on the right. In it the artist explains how the work is made. In the background you can see how about 20.000 small tie-wraps were used to connect the EL wire to the figure frames by the hired hands of befriended artists.
Pictures of "Lines Crossing" as installed above the Herengracht in Amsterdam.

The Making-off

Working a a rare calm day.
Tie-wrap football
The artist fake working for TV.
Art before its art.
Due to the complexity on installing the work it was only shown once for a 6 week period. Installation was done by a team of 3 by maneuvering a platform with 6 meter high scaffolding over the canal to create a Dynema rope frame between the trees. From this they hung all the wires and sculptures. About 1900 meters of EL wire was used. It took 2 weeks of fulltime work in rain, hailstorms and freezing cold.
Artist Jeroen Cremers, friend and amazing assistant, welding.
Artist and now tie-wrap specialist Fabian Gruau at work.
Artist really at work, very, very late while the team transports the work to the location.
Welding the surfer