Launching Event ´ENLIGHTEN ME´

Event Update — 5 Min Read

Launching Event ´ENLIGHTEN ME´ by Minke van de Zande

Event Update — 5 Min Read

Launching Event ´ENLIGHTEN ME´

On July 15th, 2022 ´Enlighten ME´- the world’s first Printoptical Artwork – was unveiled at the Luximprint Creative Factories in Wemeldinge, Netherlands.

Today marked a new milestone in Luximprint history. After recently surpassing the 5th company anniversary, we were delighted to celebrate the launch of the new Luximprint ‘Printoptical Art’ business. The availability of the new optical 3D printing service for traditional ànd digital artists around the globe was illustrated by the presentation of Minke van de Zande’s Printoptical Artwork ‘Enlighten ME’. After three successive years of inspiration, thought exchanges, iterations and hard work, the impressive artwork finally saw the light. Together with an exclusive group of relatives, business relations, artists and press, the momentum was celebrated at the Luximprint Creative Factories in Wemeldinge, Netherlands.

´Enlighten Me´ by Minke van de Zande

The first ‘Printoptical Artwork’ includes a merge of traditional silk-art skills with novel optical 3D printing technologies and advanced lighting technologies. This unique blend results in a unique, never-before realized composition of stunning silk-art. The embodiment of printed optical features into a 3D-shaped ‘Uhu in Silk’ makes ‘Enlighten ME’ a highly desirable object for museums and private art collectors. Add to it the special lighting effects, fairy-tale-like storytelling and luminous side-effects, and a true ‘optical light art experience’ is born.

Fine Art: It’s all in the Details

‘The Uhu’, one of the largest species of owl, has been at the base of Minke van de Zande´s latest artwork ´Enlighten ME´. As a ´Needle Wizard´, she get´s excited when working with fluffy silk materials. The barred bird´s winks and tail, the distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish coloring and tawny, the underparts with a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring, have all been deeply inspirational characteristics serving as inspiration for her recent work. It´s all in the details.

“I am truly excited ye stunned about the result… as a falconer, I do not just observe how identical the original and artistic species look like. For me, it’s in the true details! Look at the socket… the scratch at the bird’s beak … the altered feathers in the eyebrows… Truly amazing!”

Ruben van Maaren, Van Maaren Roofvogeldemonstraties

So Ruben van Maaren, owner of Van Maaren Roofvogels concludes. As the rightful owner of Uhu ‘Marnix’, the prey bird that served as the primary inspiration for Van de Zande’s recent artwork, he joined the celebrations bringing Marnix himself with him. Van Maaren is truly stunned by the accuracy of the replication, but even more by the details of the artwork. It is the start of an exciting journey together, and we are sure to witness more work in the time ahead.

Launching Event

The launching event was joined by an exclusively invited group of relatives and business relations, including suppliers, artists, and press. A day of excitement, where the unique cooperation between van De Zande and Luximprint was celebrated. A special ‘Dark room’ environment was created with an interactive lighting design scheme and matching voice-over. The formal presentation can be viewed at the official ‘Enlighten ME’ project page.

In the time ahead, new initiatives will be launched, both in cooperation with Minke van de Zande and from the broader Printoptical Art community. From their backgrounds in traditional and digital art, artists start to explore how to enrich their work with Luximprint Printoptical Technology. The ability to add a true next dimension that brings literal clarity and brightness to the design space opens up new doors for artists to enrich their work. We are excited to see new artworks come to life and can’t wait to celebrate the next launch!

Please refer to the official ‘Enlighten ME’ page for more information about the project, publications and to learn about the ‘making-off’.