Interview: Mike Rijnierse and Ludmila Rodrigues

In January, a red-hot sunset appears in the IJ. Sunset in Amsterdam, an installation by Mike Rijnierse and Ludmila Rodrigues, plays with the idea of the sun slowly disappearing into the horizon, as we know it from a day at sea. Here, however, the sun stays still and is visible 360 degrees. This striking light artwork was previously on display in cities such as Paris, The Hague and Delft and is now coming to the NDSM shipyard for a month. We asked the duo about their motives and inspiration for the installation.

What inspired you back then to write the first version of Sunset to create, and how do you start something that is so universal and timeless?

“We were literally standing on the beach and saw how many people grabbed their phones to photograph the sunset. We wondered how many people capture this phenomenon every day. At the moment, thousands of photos of the same sunset are being taken. Moreover, a photo can never do justice to the real phenomenon, which is spatial, deep and grand. It's actually a bit tragic that we're trying to capture it and even share it with the world. Then we joked: What if we made an inflatable sunset that just sticks around so people don't have to rush to capture it?

By waiting for that sublime moment, we often miss the whole spectacle, because we replace our biological, stereoscopic gaze (our eyes) with the technological perspective of a camera. We are turning into cyclopes, so to speak. Then we started researching the psychological effects of sunsets and their colors, and how they are portrayed in art and movies.”

Sunset was first seen in Delft in 2021 and has since traveled to other cities. How does the environment where the work is shown influence the audience's experience?

“The installation always has a strong relationship with the location where it is shown. Each new decor adds unique elements, so the work is different every time. It's fascinating to discover it from different angles: from a different street, under a bridge, or from a window. People send us photos from the most unexpected perspectives, which is always a pleasant surprise. The process of setting up is often challenging — from financing and permits to the actual installation — but it teaches us more and more about the work and the location. It invites people to slow down, see the environment differently and rediscover it.”

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The NDSM shipyard is a place with a rich history and a lot of change. How fits Sunset in this specific context?

“The work always creates a context in which new perspectives and stories arise. These can be interpreted differently by everyone. In Delft, for example, we heard extraordinary stories from visitors. We think that Sunset will establish a connection between the NDSM shipyard and the IJ, which are often seen as separate units. By being present in the moment, you look at your surroundings from a different perspective, as if your relationship with the city is about to be reset.”

You seem fascinated by the relationship between people and natural phenomena, such as a sunset, in an urban environment. What attracts you to this contradiction?

“We're both fascinated by how people perceive the world. Our senses are culturally shaped; some are more developed than others. But they can all be trained, re-tuned and further developed. Our works challenge the public to consciously see, hear, smell, touch and move, to experience their natural and built environment in new ways.”

I read that you are concerned that when we watch a sunset, for example, we often replace our view with the perspective of a camera. What does this do to how we experience our environment?

“By rushing to capture the moment, we're not fully experiencing it. It is becoming increasingly difficult to really be present and open to what is happening because we are distracted by all the means of communication around us. Switching from a stereoscopic view to a cyclopean view flattens our horizon, a two-dimensional screen, just like our devices.”

Can you give us an insight into the technical side of Sunset? How do you manage to recreate a sunset so faithfully?

“It may not be really realistic (how dare we imitate the sun!) , but it comes close to the “iconic image” of a sunset. It is an inflatable hemisphere with a diameter of 8 meters, filled with as many lumens as possible. The lighting is controlled by a microprocessor that makes the warm tones of red, magenta and orange run slowly.”

Finally, sunsets are different all over the world and yet universally recognisable. What do you hope visitors will take away from their experience with Sunset?

“We hope the experience is memorable, that people always think about work when they come back to the place. The colors offer warmth during the winter days, but above all, it reminds us of our unique and fragile relationship with the sun. Life as we know it is only possible here, right at this distance from the sun.”

Sunset in Amsterdam is presented within the (Un) monumenting program line where artists question the monumental character of NDSM as a place. At NDSM, monumental heritage, creativity, events and creators come together. In response, artists are always exploring what the specific character of the shipyard means and can continue to mean for the future of a city and its residents.

Mike Rijnierse and Ludmila Rodrigues have been working together since 2011. They share a fascination with the ways in which human perception is shaped. Their works encourage audiences to navigate with all their senses and to learn to see, hear and feel again.