Lyrics of illumination: Steve McQueen’s at Amsterdam’s Vondelpark

Last night Amsterdam’s struggles were definitely in blue! While local consumers with great enthusiasm were forming overnight fashion queues (Marni X H&M), others were searching for visual pleasure at the city’s largest lung – Vondelpark. In collaboration with the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, artist Steve McQueen (b. 1969, London, lives and works in Amsterdam and London) intervenes the nature plot with 275 blue lamps inspired by the Blues.

Leaving behind the traditional white streetlamps gave the park more of a new season effect than a light effect. Associations around the blue colour are open to interpretation for all pedestrians, but cinematically and inevitable I first felt SHAME’s blue silk sheets at the very beginning of the film. Or more than Leroy Carr‘s piano notes, I sooner could hear Carey Mulligan singing somewhere behind those naked trees throughout the 47 hectares. Spring, summer, autumn, winter and now blue. Urban and sexy!

BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE by Steve McQueen

Temporary Stedelijk 3

Amsterdam Vondelpark

From the 7th until the 25th of March 2012

Web: STEDELIJK MUSUEM
Instagram: @stedelijkmuseum
Video: @blikopeners