Innovative facility integrates lights across five-acre field to stimulate crop growth



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Art design

#agriculture #installation #light #plants #sustainability

January 22, 2021

Grace Ebert

Spread across a thick leek field in the Netherlands is Daan Roosegaarde’s new installation that illuminates the practice of modern agriculture, showcasing the plants that nourish us and their suffering. In ‘Grow’, the Dutch artist and designer, known for his light and interactive exhibitions, implanted the rows of red, blue and ultraviolet lights that shine vertically through the crop and move in a haunting movement.

Spanning 20,000 square meters, the multi-faceted project is both aesthetic and practical: the radiant landscape is visually stunning, while built-in features improve plant growth and halve pesticide use. Roosegaarde worked with existing photobiological technology and distinct “light recipes” that are believed to improve crop resistance and metabolism without the addition of chemicals. “It gives new meaning to the word ‘agro-culture’ by reframing the landscape as a living cultural work of art,” the studio said in a statement.

In a conversation with Dezeen, Roosegaarde noted that a trip to a local farm spurred the project, which the designer now hopes will serve as a model for similar work. The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world – the United States is the first – and is known for its more sustainable technological innovations. With some changes in the combination of lights and placement, this singular project could have far-reaching implications for agricultural production around the world.

“Grow” took approximately two years to complete Roosegaarde’s studio and is part of Rabobank’s Artist-in-Residence program. There are plans to visit 40 countries in the coming months. To learn more about Roosegaarde’s work which sits at the intersection of art, design and science, take a look at Instagram.

All images © Daan Roosegaarde, shared with permission

#agriculture #installation #light #plants #sustainability

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