An installation that reacts to light
Heliotrope is a kinetic installation by Heleen Blanken and Daniel de Bruin. The work is inspired by the natural phenomenon in which plants turn their leaves and flowers towards the sun. That biological principle forms both the starting point and the metaphor: the installation explores how energy is received, converted, and made visible. The moving lamellae react to light and translate invisible forces into something tangible.
Mirror and movement in the Westerpark
The installation is located in Westerpark and consists of mirrored slats that rotate continuously. They refract light rays and reflect the surroundings into a fragmented, ever-changing image. This creates a play between the artificial and the organic. The boundary between a mechanical object and a living being blurs. The work behaves differently during the day than at night, evoking a sense of perpetual motion.
Art at the intersection of nature and technology
In their work, Blanken and De Bruin seek parallels between the mechanized and the living. Heliotrope represents an artificial organism that, just like a plant, reacts to its environment. The work invites you to pause and reflect on the rhythms and movements that characterize nature, but which you normally do not see. Are you interested? Visit the installation in Westerpark and experience it for yourself.
