GROW
Highlighting the beauty of agriculture.
GROW is an homage to the beauty of agriculture. As a luminous dreamscape, GROW appears as ‘dancing lights’ of red and blue waves across the 20,000 m² agricultural field of growing leeks (Allium porrum).
GROW is inspired by photobiology light science technologies, which have shown that specific recipes of blue, red, and ultraviolet light can enhance plant growth and reduce the use of pesticides by up to 50 percent.
Most of the time, we hardly notice the vast areas of the Earth that are literally feeding us. GROW highlights the importance of innovation in agriculture: How can cutting-edge light design help plants grow more sustainably? How can we make the farmer the hero? GROW gives new meaning to ‘agri-culture’ by viewing the landscape as a living cultural artwork.
Daan Roosegaarde: "GROW is a dreamscape showing the beauty of light and sustainability. Not as a utopia but as a protopia, improving step by step.”
.avif)
GROW has won numerous accolades, including the Global Future Design Awards 2021, Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award, People’s Lovie Winner, World Design Awards 2021, MANA Global New Media Art, ADC Annual Awards, [d]arc Lighting Award London, Novum Design Award, and MUSE Design Award.
Launched in 2020, GROW covers a 20,000 m² agricultural field with four light recipe systems powered by solar batteries for global exhibitions. GROW features precision lighting focused horizontally in a controlled area, extending sunlight briefly while minimizing light pollution by being visible only up close. This approach ensures GROW remains in harmony with the environment.
GROW is part of the artist-in-residence program at Rabobank, in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, BioLumic, and MediaMonks. Developed over two years by Daan Roosegaarde and his team, it draws on insights from expert sessions at Studio Roosegaarde, Wageningen University & Research, Springtij Forum, and the World Economic Forum in Davos. It is the first installment in the DreamScapes series by Studio Roosegaarde, highlighting the fusion of art and science to create a better world.
Wiebe Draijer, Chairman of the Managing Board at Rabobank, says: “It is truly inspiring to work with an artist like Daan Roosegaarde on growing a better world together.”
Prof. Dr. Wargent, PhD, Chief Science Officer at BioLumic, world leading expert in plant photobiology: “GROW is a fascinating project and supported by scientific research which shows specific light recipes can enhance growth and reduce pesticide use up to 50%.”
With special thanks to Wageningen University & Research, BioLumic and MediaMonks. Photography by Ruben Hamelink and Daan Roosegaarde.
Press Release
Fact Sheet
Select Exhibitions
Publications
November 4, 2021
GROW: Award-Winning Art in Agriculture
GROW is internationally awarded by Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award, MANA Global New Media Art, ADC Annual Awards, [d]arc Lighting Award London, Novum Design Award, and MUSE Design Award, for transforming agriculture into art and innovation.
Publications
February 23, 2021
GROW is World News
Today, GROW reached around 665 million people. Thanks to Dezeen, Yahoo, Corriere della Sera, Designboom, Trouw, Fastcompany, NRC, Reuters, World Economic Forum, RTL Nieuws, Monocle, FD, and many others for helping GROW inspire the world.
Exhibitions
January 19, 2021
Homage to the Farmer
GROW uses photobiology light science to boost plant growth and cut pesticide use by up to 50%, and is, above all, a homage to the farmer.