Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), partner to the Amsterdam Light Festival, today announced its involvement in the light sculpture 1.26 Amsterdam by Janet Echelman. Echelman developed her sculpture together with Philips. The intelligent and dynamic LED lighting changes color and is ideally suited for use in architectural outdoor lighting, such as for large light sculptures or light shows.
Light artist Janet Echelman reshapes urban airspace with monumental, fluidly moving sculptures that respond to environmental forces like wind, water and sunlight. In India, Echelman used fishermen's nets to create a new form of volumetric sculpture without using any heavy, solid materials. She designs her projects together with a range of professionals, including aeronautical engineers and architects. Janet Echelman used LED lighting from Philips Color Kinetics in her light sculpture. 1.26 Amsterdam is a reference to the earthquake in Chile in February 2010 which shortened the day by 1.26 micro seconds.
Rogier van der Heide, Chief Design Officer Philips Lighting: “Philips and Janet Echelman share a passion for light as an art form. In a world where technology, art and design are increasingly merging, there is a growing interest in light sculptures and the culture of light. The light sculptures at the Amsterdam Light Festival give meaning to public spaces, show the beauty of simplicity and bring people together. The aim behind the light festival is to use art to enrich and illuminate the city of Amsterdam at the darkest time of year.”
Philips is a partner to the Amsterdam Light Festival 2012
Philips and the Amsterdam Light Festival share the same goal: to use light to make cities more livable and more attractive. This cultural festival of light and water will run from 7 December 2012 to 20 January 2013. The festival is quite literally putting the history of Amsterdam in the spotlight. City beautification achieved using beautiful outdoor lighting and light sculptures attracts tourists to the city and helps to create a lasting connection between the city and its residents.