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By
Kyra Xavia
It may seem counterintuitive and radical for a light artist to create a project that turns lighting off, however that is exactly what Daan Roosegaarde has done. Collaborating with UNESCO, Roosegaarde studio convinced Franeker, a city of about 12,000 in the Netherlands, to turn off its lighting in November 2021. Franeker seemed the ideal place to launch the project, as its home to the world’s oldest working planetarium – the Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium (completed in 1781).
The initiative came about to give people a renewed sense of connection, belonging, and wonder by enabling city residents to experience something that’s been impossible for decades: seeing a majestic, starry sky from their streets.
“It’s very important for humanity to feel there is something much bigger than ourselves; that were connected to nature and each other,” Daan says. “We need to find new perspective and new harmony, and ‘Seeing Stars’ does that.”
For several hours on the night of the event, urbanites enjoyed the best light show on earth – one that’s been silently and steadily stolen away over time by artificial light: starlight that has traveled vast distances across the cosmos.
The project offers city dwellers the chance to appreciate the beauty of the night scape and learn just how little light is needed to see, navigate, and feel safe. Daan himself noted that, with less light the eyes see well, highlighting the misconception that more light necessarily increased his safety.
… “It’s really a community project because citizens have to cooperate by closing their curtains and switching off the lights in the stores. There are also crowd control and safety checks, plus billboards need to be switched off and the weather needs to cooperate,” Daan explains.
Bringing Dutch stars back
“Seeing Stars” was so successful that the second event is planned in September 2022 and the larger city of Leiden, home of another historic European Observatory… Daan contacted Kathleen Ferrier, Chair of the Dutch UNESCO commission, to see if UNESCO would support the project.
“The aim of UNESCO is to create peace in the mind of humanity and to encourage a sense of our own humanity, which aligns perfectly with ‘Seeing Stars’,” says Kathleen. She believes “Seeing Stars” touches people deeply and encourages people to look at things from a different perspective.
Urban starry night
“Seeing Stars” raises awareness about the visibility of the night sky and creates an experience of awe for several hours one night. “We focus on one date and people give lectures and bring telescopes. The intent is to make a big bang to show what’s possible,” Daan says, so that once the event is over, people may question why it was only for one night…
Other cities, including Miami, Reykjavík, Stockholm, Sydney, and Vienna, have expressed interest in holding “Seeing Stars” events… “This needs to be a bottom up movement that comes from the people,” Daan says. “Nobody agreed to losing the stars, it just happened, so we need to bring them back. It’s good for people and it’s good for nature.”
Hold your own “Seeing Stars”
Studio Roosegaarde offers guidance on its website: https://studioroosegaarde.net/...
“Light is my language, but here it’s not about adding but removing,” says Daan. “We’ve been told it’s the era of abundance yet we have to accept our resources are limited. By removing something-turning off lights, preventing light pollution and saving energy – we get something extra back.”
Excerpt, in gratitude, Nightscape, #108/June 2022, International Dark Sky Association, Tucson AZ (Italics added)
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