studio roosegaarde holocaust monument lights rotterdam with 104,000 luminescent stones

the temporary holocaust monument levenslicht by studio roosegaarde lights up rotterdam with 104,000 luminescent memorial stones that represent the 104,000 dutch holocaust victims of the second world war. the monument, which draws from the jewish custom of placing stones to honor the deceased instead of flowers, comprises specially developed rocks with fluorescent pigments that can light up every few seconds by using invisible ultraviolet light. the artwork was inaugurated in rotterdam on january 16, 2020, and will then travel from january 22 to february 2, 2020, to 170 municipalities with a holocaust history in the netherlands.

all images courtesy of studio roosegaarde

2020 marks 75 years since the auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, the international symbol of the holocaust, was liberated. commissioned by the national committee 4 and 5 may, studio roosegaarde created the temporary light monument to raise awareness that jews, roma and sinti lived throughout the netherlands and that the people who were persecuted, deported and murdered during the second world war were locals or neighbors. levenslicht (meaning ‘light of life’ in dutch) comprises 104,000 specially developed light emitting memorial rocks which have absorbed fluorescent pigments and light up under the influence of invisible ultraviolet light. every few seconds one can see the stones radiate a blue color which extinguishes again: like a breath in light.

‘it is an honor to be asked for this project and to be able to make a public light monument to remember the holocaust,’ notes daan roosegaarde. ‘levenslicht is a place for everyone where we remember the past, but also think about what the future may look like.’