Stunning 'Starry Night' Inspired Bike Path -Opens in the Netherlands to Celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Vincent van Gogh's Death
- Crafted by Dutch artist and designer, Daan Roosegarde, to celebrate the life and work of the acclaimed painter
- Inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night, the bike path boasts 50,000 solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark stones
- LED lights also dot the 1-kilometre path, which is part of the larger Van Gogh Cycle Route in the county of Brabant
Daily Mail UK, 23 November 2014
To commemorate the life and work of painter Vincent van Gogh, fellow Dutch artist and designer Daan Roosegaarde has created a beautiful, illuminated bike path inspired by one of van Gogh's most famous works.
The kilometre-long Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path is inspired by Starry Night and features 50,000 glow-in-the-dark stones, which have been embedded in the ground.
The solar-powered stones soak up the sun's rays by day, resulting in a breath-taking swirling pattern of glowing fragments.
To commemorate the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, fellow Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde created this dazzling bike path tribute
The Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path opened in Eindhoven, Netherlands, on November 12
The opening of this unique installation marks the start of the Van Gogh 2015 international theme year
The path also boasts LED lights, which are meant to enhance visibility on cloudy days when the stones may not be able to charge.
'I wanted to create a place that people will experience in a special way, the technical combined with experience, that's what techno-poetry means to me,' Roosegaarde said in a statement.
The cycle path is located in the Dutch county of Brabant, where Van Gogh was born and raised.
It opened in the city of Eindhoven on November 13.
Inspired by one of Van Gogh's most famous works - Starry Night - the path boasts 50,000 glow-in-the-dark stones
The stones are solar-powered, so they charge via the sun's rays during the day and turn on at night, illuminating the ground for one kilometre
Roosegaarde collaborated with Heijmans, a construction services business, to pull off this gorgeous feat
The installation is part of the larger Van Gogh Cycle Route, which is free of charge and open to the public year round.
The entire route measures 335 kilometres and is split into five individual day trips, which connect several Van Gogh heritage sites.
The dazzling one kilometre stretch is just part of a series of celebrations, called Van Gogh 2015, intended to mark the 125th anniversary of the painter's death.
Over the year, cultural events celebrating the life and work of the artist will be held in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
The one-kilometre stretch is part of the larger 335-kilometre Van Gogh Cycle Route, which takes riders to many artist-inspired heritage sites
Source of inspiration: Vincent van Gogh's iconic painting is housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
Mission accomplished: 'I wanted to create a place that people will experience in a special way,' Roosegaarde said of his achievement