Children of the Light is an Amsterdam-based artist duo comprising Christopher Gabriel (b. 1980 in Oslo) and Arnout Hulskamp (b. 1978 in Amsterdam). For them, light is not only a visual medium but also a living, breathing philosophical entity. Drawing inspiration from cosmic energy and natural phenomena, they create immersive performances, videos, installations, and sculptures. Influenced by pioneers of light art such as Zero Art Movement and James Turrell, they pursue projects that reimagine the relationship between light and humankind. Children of the Light’s works have been presented at Nxt Museum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Oude Kerk, TodaysArt, STRP Biënnale, Wuzhen Triennale, and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen and can be found in the collections of Centraal Museum and Modern Forms.
Light installation 2018 - 2023
Transito is a large-scale light installation created in collaboration between the architecture studio Space Encounters and Children and Light. First presented during the 2018 Salone del Mobile, it drew inspiration from Milan's renowned Neoclassical landmarks, translating their distinctive symmetry and order into an architectural yet sculptural form. Appearing endless, with no beginning or end, waves of colored light unsettle the viewer’s sense of space and weightlessness, shifting between the impression of an infinitely deep black hole and complete absorption into light, suggesting infinity and timelessness. The soundtrack, which seamlessly accompanies the artwork’s visual and spatial experiences, was composed for the glass harmonica. Using only the frequencies of the visual spectrum, the visual elements are converted into sound. Transito employs light as a sculptural medium to dissolve pillars, passageways, and ultimately the entire space into liquid architecture.
Sound: Sébastien Robert Materials: HDF, LED, controllers, computer