Technopoetry by Daan Roosegaarde

Mar 19, 2013 | by Frederike | Art, Spots

About the author

As a twenty-five year old writer, hummusaddict, night decorator, Master student, secret girlfriend of James Franco and lover of thick books, I totally agree with the saying that wolves don't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.

Last November I saw an episode of DWDD where a very enthusiastic artist silenced Matthijs van Nieuwkerk with his stories about softening our cityscape. A lot of beta-jargon, but he aims to romanticize buildings with new forms of technology in light and sound. His latest upgrade is to the Hotel school, with a high-tech garden called Boo. The grey complex is now enlightened with green pillars who echo your and their own Asian-inspired voice. Still a bit futuristic; time for some questions.

Hi Daan Roosegaarde, in an interview you said you want to add ‘sensual layers’ to buildings, what does that mean?
“Together with my studio [‘social design lab for interactive art, fashion & architecture’] we’re searching for some kind of transformation, an artistic one. It’s not only about adding light, otherwise we could also only plant some lampposts, but creating artworks in the streets. The newest possibilities in technology are like a form of poetry to me, that’s why we call it technopoetry.”

Instead of the familiar signs in museums saying ‘please do not touch’, we like to use a ‘please touch’ instruction

Marbles is a successful light project in Almere, which you also call an ‘interactive landscape’, how important is this vice-versa form of contact for you?
“The most important! That’s the reason why we mainly work in the public sphere. People are way too busy staring at their iPads or phones these days, with these kind of projects I hope we go outside and meet up again. Instead of the familiar signs in museums saying ‘please do not touch’, we like to use a ‘please touch’ instruction. And it works, young people in Almere actually use the marbles as their new hangout spot.”

The garden of Boo is Asian-inspired, what explains your affection with this continent?
“Besides the fact we have an office in Shanghai, it’s the mentality of the Eastern residents I like. Here in Holland we seem to be stuck in a ‘ja, maar..’ (‘yes, but..’) culture, which irritates me because it kills all creativity. In Asia they’re much more open-minded and not afraid to invest in dreams. This is something I would like to bring back home. We also call this project a zen-garden, like a new form of nature.”

So fewer hours online, more in technological but romantic gardens, will this be the future?
“I would say it’s the present! We, you and I can create this futura romantica!”

With his idealistic enthusiasm Roosegaarde sort of convinced me. These modern hippie projects might actually bring people together offline a little more, and besides that it’s a unique way of experiencing art. Go take a look.