Van Gogh Art Bridge

The bridge allows us to see Amsterdam.

An artist and his technique, vision, understanding are what we celebrate in this project. The bridge adds to our lives; a brief moment of difference, a new approach to the city, an unusual kind of experience by mimicking the expression of Vincent Willem van Gogh’s painting style and presenting it to us by painting the real life.

The glass facade works as a filter, breaking the light into pieces with its form and creating an image of what is behind it. While serving as a monument dedicated to Gogh, the bridge operates as an open-air exhibition space. Without interrupting people’s daily commute, it enables the art to be seen by every demographic. In order to bring people together and expand the usage of the space, a conference hall has been included which can serve as a public speaking platform as well as an open-air movie theatre and a dock for important shipments.

In conclusion, we are just trying to understand Vincent better, to see the world from his point of view, and maybe add to ourselves a little idea about what he felt, what he experienced, what he imagined.

"It was quite fascinating to find out how hard it is to design something in Amsterdam. Every single piece of design can easily become disrespectful to the existing beauty of the city. In the end, we found ourselves just looking at the streets, facades, people, and boats of this magnificent city and decided that “We cannot possibly add or subtract anything from this lovely composition”. The only thing we might be able to do is to frame it, elegantly, respectfully, harmlessly, for everyone to appreciate.

The frame is not only a bridge but also a philosophical statement about Vincent Van Gogh. It allowed us to add another dimension to the painting: time. The main question was “How did he see?” How did Vincent saw Amsterdam? How did he imagine, dream, experience? The bridge is a slice taken from Vincent’s eyes and built up to exhibit it to the public.

The filter inside the frame is a see-through glass, molded to recreate Gogh’s painting technique and behind this filter is Amsterdam itself. When light passes through it gets broken in such a way that it creates the visual effect of Van Gogh’s style. So whatever is at the opposite side of the frame from your position gets “painted” The Bridge creates a 24/7 painting of live Amsterdam and its people.

The bridge's main purpose is to let the viewers, guests, visitors, and travelers see from Vincent’s eyes. Introduce a new way of experiencing the city. Emphasize the beauty of the elements of the composition. In the end, make them aware of where they are, where they live."

Marc Van Driest, Stephanie Akkaoui, Adrian Welch - Jury
Netherlands, Amsterdam, Amstel - Site
15.01.2018 - 10.02.2018 - Date