The monumental SPIDER by Groupe LAPS consists of a whopping 80 smaller spiders, which are all 2 meters wide, made from tubes with led light. Our fascination with gigantic monster spiders is often a popular topic in books and movies, think of Aragog and his spider family from Harry Potter, or the evil Shelob from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, not everyone will feel like they have ended up in a science fiction horror scene of an episode of Stranger Things. With their playful running and jumping around, the spiders resemble acrobats in some way and it is this double feeling that Groupe LAPS plays with in this artwork.
Artist collective Groupe LAPS creates (interactive) projections and light art installations and is a well-known participant in light festivals. Their large installations not only feature spiders, but other running, jumping and dancing figures take on the main role, too. With dynamic light effects they come to life and something between a light sculpture and a stop-motion animation (think of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride) is the result. The artworks always tell a small story and enrich our reality with a little bit of fiction.
