about
Artist Statement
As a spatial designer I give substance to spaces. My site-specific light installations and video mapping projects tell something essential about the area, the social context and its history.
GENIUS LOCI (the unique protective spirit) is an important inspiration and purpose of my work. I want to make the uniqueness of a place visible through light. The strength of my work lies in its simplicity. I create penetrating experiences with minimal resources, with respect for the existing environment. No unambiguous messages, but multi-interpretable dreams that awaken spectators from their sleep.
I am looking for layering. No soulless pursuit of effect, but more tranquil experiences.
Today, light art, especially its interactive version, is incredibly popular. More and more cities see it as a marketing tool and invest a lot of money in large-scale and increasingly bombastic light art festivals, which sometimes attract an audience of hundreds of thousands. This democratization usually has little to do with Great Art. Videomapping has become the new fireworks display with a high entertainment content without animation, it is magic and illusion and that will always appeal to people. I want to use this magic and illusion in a subtle but penetrating way. The light festivals offer me a platform for this and I have now built up a name. The permanent light installations in the public space that I have realized also allow the public to look at their surroundings with a different view. I now have extensive experience in working for government agencies with sustainable and vandal-resistant results.
LIGHT MATTERS: Light matters. There is no life without light.
"Matters" stands for matter / business. Light is the immaterial raw material I want to build with.
Building with light intrigues me because of the paradox between the intangible intangibility of light and its strong, attractive presence. Light is the common thread in my work, in the sense of the catalyst of all materials.
I want to materialize light by means of translucent materials. This is best reflected in my recent light objects. All are based on existing LED panels, combined with transparent and non-transparent materials from my immediate environment. I want to paint with light!
They are literally and figuratively layered objects that show a different image during the day than in the evening when the light is on. Often these objects result in semi-abstract landscapes.
I want to further develop my light objects in the near future. After my successful first Artist-in-Residence in Estonia and open studio exhibition, I hope next year to realize an Artist-in-Residence in Shanghai and / or other places where I want to be inspired by the local culture and nature and a new audience hope to reach.
Big names that have influenced me are:
* James Turrell: His light installations (light spaces) make the viewer aware of his / her viewing. Turrell brings the light so close to you that you experience that light is almost matter.
* Olafur Eliasson: He moves at the interface of natural phenomena and technology. Eliasson has been called the master of reflection. Light in its purest form!
* Bill Viola: Human themes such as birth, death, love, emotion and humanistic spirituality are central in his video work. Because his images move very slowly, the viewer can 'sink' deep into the different layers of meaning, as it were.
The urgency of my work lies in the purity and intensity of their work, which increasingly shifts from applied on commission to autonomous work for sale.
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONALIA
Name Bas (Sebastiaan Arthur Marie) Peeters
Sex Male
Nationality Dutch
Email info@baspeeters.nl
Studio Bas Peeters Spatial Design and Light Art
Surinamekade 8
1019 BV Amsterdam
Website www.baspeeters.nl
Telephone 0031-655182547
Birth date and place 30- 06-1962 Venlo
EDUCATION AND TRAINING (with diplomas)
1974 - 1981 St. Thomas College Venlo. HAVO and VWO
1981 - 1986 City Academy of Applied Arts in Maastricht
1st degree Teacher training Crafts and Art
1988 - 1992 Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam
Theatre Design and Art Direction
2014-2015 Development Grant AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the
Arts) with coaching ILO (Institute of Light Design)
WORK EXPERIENCE
1993 - present Working as independent spatial designer for theater, interior, decorations etc.
Teacher courses at creativity centers and guest lectures
ART
2002 Ypenstein monument on the grounds of St. Willibrord
Foundation Heiloo
2005 Artwork at City Hall facade Venlo art project The Nis Venlo
2007 Light, sound art event for Polderlicht in Amsterdam
2010 Video Installation for group exhibition ‘Lighten Up SAIL in Loods6
Installation light and sound art route Polderlicht @ home
2011 Light Project ‘Running Fire’ Amsterdam Docklands
Installation art route Cliff Hanger Texel
2013 Light installation Case gallery De Inkijk subway Wibautstraat
Amsterdam
Interactive video installation Amsterdam Light Festival.
Imagemappingproject Winterlight Schiedam
2014 Video mapping project Luminale Frankfurt
Light installation Art-Zaanstad
Video mapping project GLOW Eindhoven
2015 Light installation Parklicht Amsterdam
Researchtraject ’Genius Loci’ Eastern Harbours Amsterdam
Lightinstallation Winterlight Schiedam
2016 Light installation lightwalk Heerlijck Licht Diepenheim and Luminale Frankfurt
2017 Light installation ‘The Encounter’ apartmentbuilding De Hagen in
Amsterdam-north
Mobile slide installation Winterlight Schiedam
Video mapping installation Amsterdam Light Festival
2018 Light installation Saint Nicolaschurch Monnickendam
Light installation Parklicht Amsterdam
2019 Nomination Crowe-Foederer Talent Award
Exhibition New Light, Dutch Design Week Eindhoven
2020 Copper Leg Artist in Residency near Tallinn Estonia
Exhibition lightobjects Loods 6 Amsterdam
2021 Temporary corona lightobjects on two squares in Amsterdam-East
