During these dark January days, a lockdown and the lack of a physical edition of the showcase festival and conference ESNS, there are still a number of bright spots in the city in the form of ESNS ART.

Surprising art installations can be found at three locations in the center of Groningen. At the Vismarkt, Grote Markt and Nieuwe Markt you can experience the artworks Voyager, Kleur de Stad and Pneumatic Sound Field.

ESNS ART 2022 is a collaboration between Kunstpunt Groningen and ESNS. With these art installations, accessible to everyone, we want to give the city some color for its residents and visitors.

Vismarkt
When the pandemic hit in early spring of 2020, social distancing was introduced. Lumus Instruments designed an installation that serves as a memento. Voyager evokes the need to come together, but also the alienating feeling that everyone experienced when we first had to keep our distance.

A large number of light and sound sources incorporated in the installation – a kind of half aureole – influence the viewer’s experience of the space: from intimate to grand and spacious.

Lumus Instruments is a creative light art studio. They develop and design products that enable and inspire the creation of sustainable art. Using technology, they create light experiences with a high level of aesthetics and interaction. www.lumus-instruments.com

Voyager opens Wednesday, January 19 at noon, but is best experienced from sunset.

Grote Markt
Kleur de Stad (Color the City) provides a bright spot in dark days. This light installation by Mr.Beam colors and illuminates the city hall of Groningen. During the Christmas holidays, Kunstpunt Groningen called on residents of Groningen to contribute to this special work of art by coloring a coloring page of the town hall. During ESNS, the projections of the submitted coloring pages can be seen in a loop on the Grote Markt from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mr. Beam Studio (since 2009) is a creative team of multidisciplinary professionals who share their passion for motion design, projection mapping, animation, interactive design, and technical innovation. Their work brings ordinary objects and spaces to life and creates extraordinary immersive experiences. www.mrbeam.com

Kleur de Stad opens on Wednesday 19 January at 5 p.m.

Nieuwe Markt
What you experience in the installation Pneumatic Sound Field is best described as ‘wind that contains sound’. Artist Edwin van der Heide investigated the possibilities of creating sound with compressed air (air under pressure). In this installation, air is released in cartridges and series using very precise and quickly controllable valves. The changing patterns play with the rhythmic experience of sound, the spatial experience of sound and the creation of tones. The result is a ‘breathing sound environment’ above the audience.

Edwin van der Heide (1970) is an artist, composer and researcher in the field of sound, space and interaction. His work encompasses installations, performances and environments. The public is in the middle of the work and is challenged to actively explore the artwork. www.evdh.net

Pneumatic Sound Field opens Wednesday, January 19 at 12 noon.

More information and timelapses of the installations (from Thursday 20 January) can be found at kunstpuntgroningen.nl/esnsart.