PRESENCE
Encourages awareness of your own behavior.
PRESENCE marks Daan Roosegaarde’s first major solo museum project at the Groninger Museum. It transforms the museum’s interior into a large-scale, interactive landscape that reacts to visitors' movements. The phosphorescent installation changes color and shape, inviting physical interaction with a clear message: please touch. This encourages visitors to become aware of their own presence in an immersive way.
The exhibition was a resounding success, attracting nearly 180,000 visitors, marking the highest summer attendance in the museum’s history. Inspired by climate change and his environmental art, Roosegaarde brings the idea of an interactive landscape indoors, symbolizing the impact of human presence on the environment.
The 800 m² installation allows visitors to experience a shift in perspective—from luminous stardust resembling a cityscape to futuristic spheres drawing lines on the floor.
PRESENCE invites active participation, making the artwork a constantly evolving reflection of our connection to the world.
PRESENCE is winner of the 2020 AZ Award of Merit, 2019 LIT Lighting Design Award, and 2020 Digital Dozen Storytelling Award in New York.
22 June 2019 – 12 January 2020 at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands. A wheelchair-accessible exhibition.
Commissioned by the Groninger Museum with curators Sue-an van der Zijpp and Mark Wilson, and supported by BankGiro Loterij. Special thanks to the team at Studio Roosegaarde and Forbo Flooring.
The exhibition received a record attendance of nearly 180,000 visitors, peaking during the summer months. It marked the highest summer turnout in the museum’s history.
In conjunction with the exhibition, renowned art publisher Phaidon will launch the English-language monograph Daan Roosegaarde, with Lecturis publishing a Dutch translation. The book features contributions by Nico Daswani (World Economic Forum), Fumio Nanjo (Mori Arts Museum, Tokyo), Carol Becker (Columbia University, New York), and Daan Roosegaarde.
Press Release
Select Exhibitions
Groninger Museum Solo Exhibition
June 22, 2019
Publications
May 23, 2022
Daan Roosegaarde Art Monograph by Phaidon
The art monograph by Daan Roosegaarde, featuring his projects and ideas, is published by Phaidon, with contributions from Fumio Nanjo, Carol Becker, and Nico Daswani. The book is now available at Phaidon.
Publications
September 22, 2020
PRESENCE wins Award of Merit AZ Awards
Our PRESENCE has won the Award of Merit 2020 at the AZ Awards, chosen from 1,241 entries by the esteemed international jury in the category of Temporary & Experiential Installations.
Publications
May 1, 2020
Winner Digital Dozen Storytelling Award
Last night in New York, our PRESENCE exhibition was awarded the 2020 Digital Dozen Storytelling Award as one of the most innovative narratives of today.