GATEKEEPERS consists of two concave sculptures, upon which a set 3D projection is mapped. With an optical illusion effect. These structures are visibly male and stand at five metres tall.

We are now entering the last days of the successful Amsterdam Light Festival

In GATEKEEPERS I have explored these moments through video projection in a bid to illustrate the tradition and identity of Amsterdam thinking. The canvas for these projections are statues set to look like Pieter Pietersz Hasselaer, who was Mayor of Amsterdam 12 times. His aunt, Kenau Simonsdr Hasselaer, was a leader of the women’s resistance during the Eighty Years’ War. It was this family, among others, who arranged for Marie de Medici to visit Amsterdam’s gates, which signalled an end to the fighting.    

The two ‘gatekeepers’ represent the dual nature of the Dutch Golden Age. This era was a thriving time for the Netherlands. With their invention of the microscope they found red blood cells, with the telescope they strengthened their nautical skills and philosophised over the starry night sky. The booming economy laid the path for shares and the modern stock exchange, while the ports were the gateway for new cultures and belief systems. The Netherlands gained a reputation of respect towards women, Jews and Muslims, as well as care towards the poor and the sick. 

It was in Holland that Descartes wrote Discourse on the Method and about the relationship between the logic of man, morality, and machinery. Science became a popular area of interest, as seen with the anatomist and botanist Frederik Ruysch. Interestingly Peter the Great took an interest in Ruysch and bought much of his diaroma work.  Rachel Ruysch, much like the contemporary O’Keefe, would draw provocative flowers on her father’s pieces, which the Tsar assumed to be rock formations or kidney stones. 

I created this piece to shine a light into the Dutch past and show its relevance today. I want to inspire passion for the free thinking and speech of stubborn Amsterdam, as well as the opportunity to live amongst many cultures and religions. GATEKEEPERS should remind one of the importance in connection, between zeitgeists, people, and eras. 

These connections are important in moving above the sins of our past and complications of our present. All while remaining educated on these matters, like the exploitation of slaves during the Golden Age as well as the consequences of contemporary pollution and population control. It is time to bring people together so that we can work creatively on the future.

Artist: Irma de Vries
Music: Daniel Testas
3d model: Nick van Loo
Sculpture: Cornelis Rijken and Richard Rijken
Metal: LMB Doornbos
Acrylic: Pyrasied
Glue: Viba

Videomapping Gatekeepers Amsterdam Light Festival Hermitage

The [Amsterdam Light Festival](http://www.amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/) began on November 27, 2014 and ends Sunday, January 18, 2015. Visit [de Vries' Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/irmadevriesart) for more of her projection mapping magic.

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Two Giant Statues Come to Life in Amsterdam, Thanks to Projection Mapping

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