French artist Adrien Lucca (Paris, 1983) designed the light art work Yellow-free Zone specifically for the hallway of subway station Maashaven in Rotterdam. Lucca did this commissioned by Sculpture International Rotterdam in collaboration with RET and Rib, an art space in Rotterdam South. The artwork was officially unveiled on December 17, 2018 and can now be seen daily in the entrance area of the subway station.
Yellow-free Zone is a light installation that replaces the existing lighting in the station’s concourse with a special white light. The lamps developed by Lucca act as an ‘analog photoshop filter’ in real time. The white light removes the color yellow from all bodies and objects located in the yellow-free zone, creating a ‘color-blinding’ effect. Some objects become more intense in color, while others lose vitality to color. For Lucca, it is a magical play with light and color that questions the viewer’s perception toward himself and the world.
Year
2018
Location
Maashaven
Dimensions
20 x 10 m
Material
Light fixtures
Client
Sculpture International Rotterdam
Owner
Gemeente Rotterdam
The location
In the area around subway station Maashaven with the neighborhoods of Tarwewijk, Afrikaanderwijk and Bloemhof, Sculpture International Rotterdam developed the multi-year program Paleis Maashaven in collaboration with various local partners. Maashaven, together with the Maassilo, formed the central point in the area. To kick off Paleis Maashaven, Sculpture International Rotterdam moved four artworks from the city center to the area around Maashaven in 2018. Cosima von Bonin’s The Idler’s Playground now stands opposite the metro station at the beginning of the Afrikaanderwijk neighborhood, and three bronze sculptures were moved from Coolsingel to the semi-public courtyard of Cultuurcentrum Tarwewijk. The commission to Adrien Lucca was the first commission of a new work for this area.
With this new artwork by Adrien Lucca, Sculpture International Rotterdam also wants to show and protect the uniqueness of Maashaven. The metro station stands on a viaduct high above the ground and is supported by tapered concrete pillars. Together with the air bridge, it forms an impressive and image-defining structure on the inner harbor, connected to the Maassilo to the eye. The design of the station and viaduct is by architect Cor Veerling (Amsterdam, 1926). Veerling was head architect at the Rotterdam Municipal Works Department for many years. He designed many Rotterdam subway stations as well as the Willemsbrug (1981).
Adrien Lucca
Adrien Lucca (Paris) 1983) is a visual artist living and working in Brussels, where he teaches color studies at École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre. Over the years, Lucca has built up a diverse body of work with drawings, prints, installations and lectures around his scientific research into the use of light and color. His work combines measuring instruments, computer algorithms and the artistic imagination.
