Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York.
CO₂ Emissions: Approximately 38,000 tons over the past 10 years
Focus: Reducing Light Pollution
Counterpart: Daan Roosegaarde – Seeing Stars
Context & Connection
Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night (1889) is a timeless celebration of the night sky—an ethereal swirl of stars, moonlight, and dreams captured with bold brushstrokes and vibrant colors. Painted from memory during his time in a French asylum, Van Gogh transformed a dark, silent night into a luminous masterpiece that evokes wonder and peace. Yet, the beauty Van Gogh immortalized is disappearing. Today, over 80% of the world’s population lives under light-polluted skies, unable to see the very stars that inspired his work.
Daan Roosegaarde’s Seeing Stars (2021) offers a contemporary counterpoint that bridges art, technology, and environmental action. By temporarily turning off all urban lights, Roosegaarde restores the night sky to communities overwhelmed by artificial brightness. This work is both a poetic gesture and a powerful statement, reconnecting people to the awe of the universe while raising awareness of light pollution’s impact on ecosystems, human health, and our collective connection to nature.
Statement
"Van Gogh’s Starry Night captures a pristine, unspoiled night sky, a vision of wonder that once united humanity with the cosmos. Today, this beauty is hidden from view—drowned out by the glare of artificial lights that obscure the stars and disconnect us from nature’s majesty.
Daan Roosegaarde’s Seeing Stars restores what we have lost. By turning off urban lights, he invites communities to reclaim the night sky and rediscover its magic. This work is a reminder that what we perceive as progress often comes at a cost, and it challenges us to reimagine how we coexist with our environment.
Chosen in alignment with Greta Thunberg’s call to reduce light pollution, this pairing inspires us to act. Van Gogh painted the stars to remind us of their wonder; Roosegaarde reveals them to remind us of their importance. Together, they call us to preserve the natural beauty that still surrounds us—if only we choose to see it."
Why This Works
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Light and Darkness
- Starry Night: A nostalgic and imaginative rendering of the night sky’s natural beauty.
- Seeing Stars: A modern intervention that brings this beauty back into reality by addressing the issue of light pollution directly.
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Emotional and Symbolic Connection
- Van Gogh’s work captures the dreamlike wonder of the stars, inspiring reflection and connection.
- Roosegaarde’s work transforms this reflection into action, making the stars accessible again.
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Greta’s Vision
- Greta Thunberg emphasizes the need to tackle all forms of pollution, including light pollution, which harms ecosystems, wastes energy, and severs our connection to nature.
Exhibition Context
- Starry Night: A timeless masterpiece that immortalizes the splendor of the unspoiled night sky.
- Seeing Stars: A contemporary intervention that restores this beauty, reconnecting us to the cosmos through collective action.
- Greta’s Message: Light pollution is a preventable crisis. By turning off artificial lights, we can reconnect with nature, reduce energy waste, and restore the wonder of the night sky for generations to come.