LEVENSLICHT
104,000 stones honor 104,000 Holocaust victims.
Over 75 years ago, Auschwitz, the international symbol of the Holocaust, was liberated. For the National Committee for 4 and 5 May, Daan Roosegaarde was commissioned to create a special national artwork to commemorate the occasion. In Jewish tradition, stones are placed to honor the deceased, inspiring Roosegaarde to create LEVENSLICHT (Light of Life).
Using invisible ultraviolet light, specially developed stones with fluorescent pigments light up every few seconds, symbolizing a breath of life. The Holocaust monument LEVENSLICHT honors 104,000 Dutch Holocaust victims with 104,000 luminescent stones. First exhibited in Rotterdam, the artwork traveled to over 170 Dutch municipalities with Holocaust histories, raising awareness of its impact on local communities.
Often described by survivors as 'beyond words,' the Holocaust’s horror is powerfully conveyed through LEVENSLICHT. The artwork connects survivors with their (grand)children and emphasizes the importance of freedom.
LEVENSLICHT provides a public space for reflection on the Holocaust and the enduring significance of freedom.
LEVENSLICHT is winner of Media Architecture Biennale Award, Spatial Media Art, and MUSE Design Award.
2020. 104,000 specially developed light-emitting memorial stones with light pillars and custom software.
Commissioned by the National Committee for 4 and 5 May of the Netherlands.
Publicly opened by Gerdi Verbeet, Daan Roosegaarde, Mayor of Rotterdam Aboutaleb, and Secretary of State Paul Blokhuis on 16 January 2020, at 19:25 at Eva Cohen-Hartogkade in Rotterdam, NL. After the opening, LEVENSLICHT was shared across 170 Dutch municipalities.
Gerdi Verbeet, chairman of the National Committee for 4 and 5 May, stated, 'This work of art, visible in many Dutch municipalities affected by the Holocaust, makes the emptiness and loss tangible in those places where compatriots were murdered during the war, simply for who they were.'
Daan Roosegaarde stated, 'It is an honor to be asked for this project. LEVENSLICHT is not a traditional static monument where people are mere observers; it invites social participation. Light is life, light is hope: LEVENSLICHT.'
For more details, watch De Wereld Draait Door TV interview . The Jewish Cultural Quarter developed an online learning environment for schools aligned with LEVENSLICHT.
For more information please e-mail Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 May Netherlands: levenslicht@4en5mei.nl or call during office hours +31 (0)20 7183500.
Fact Sheet
Select Exhibitions
LEVENSLICHT Rotterdam
January 16, 2020
170 Dutch municipalities
May 4, 2020
Publications
July 27, 2021
Winner Media Architecture Biennale Award
LEVENSLICHT has won the Media Architecture Award at the Media Architecture Biennale. The design honors Dutch Holocaust victims with a humbling artwork featuring 104,000 luminescent memorial stones.
Publications
August 20, 2020
LEVENSLICHT: Award-Winning Tribute Covered by Major Outlets
Read more about LEVENSLICHT in The New York Times, Dezeen, Designboom, The Washington Post, Arbitare, NOS, Domus, NRC, and in a beautiful tribute by Mayor Ahmed Marcouch.
Exhibitions
May 4, 2020
Honoring Holocaust Victims Across 170 Dutch Municipalities
LEVENSLICHT, honoring 104,000 Holocaust victims with 104,000 luminescent stones, began in Rotterdam and has been showcased in 170 Dutch municipalities through collaboration with the National Committee.