The Hague Highlights lights up The Hague's Museum Quarter in all the colors of the rainbow

26 January 2024

Until February 10, the facade of Escher in Het Paleis is in the spotlight during The Hague Highlights. (Photo: Anne Reitsma Fotografie)

The Hague - Since Wednesday, Jan. 24, the facade of Escher in Het Paleis has been lighting up in all the colors of the rainbow. That day marked the start of the light event The Hague Highlights, which takes place annually in The Hague's Museum Quarter in winter. This year, both selected creators and residents of The Hague, young and old, participated in the light project.

This year, The Hague Highlights was festively opened with a push of a button by Alderman Saskia Bruines (Finance, Culture, Economic Development and Scheveningen City Council), Ingrid Eilander (chair of THHL Foundation) and Marcel Westerdiep (Director of Escher in Het Paleis and chair of The Hague Museum Quarter Foundation).

After this, the colorful projection appeared on the facade of Escher in Het Paleis. It will be on display until February 10 from Wednesday to Saturday between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The light art consists of two parts: the first part, Color the City, consists of more than 150 coloring sheets submitted, made by residents of The Hague and its surroundings. These will be projected on the facade of Escher in Het Paleis. Part two, Attempt the Absurd, consists of 15 one-minute animations made by 15 talented creators.

Talented creators

The 15 selected creators were each given the chance to create a one-minute animation. They were inspired by the architecture and theme of the building and played on the theme 'Attempt the Absurd'. This statement by M.C. Escher was used as a starting point, so that the graphic artist will remain in the spotlight for a while after the Escher anniversary year. The result is a highly varied 15-minute light show.

'Community artwork'

For the other part, the community artwork Kleur de Stad (Colour the City), colouring sheets were issued all over The Hague in recent months, featuring the blank facade of Escher in Het Paleis. Hundreds of people then handed in their colouring sheets, which can now be seen in gigantic size, projected onto Het Paleis.

In some cases, an entire school class went to work on the colouring pictures, such as at the Archipelschool. The pupils were looking forward to seeing their artworks on Escher. One of them says: "I used as many colours as possible. I thought that was really cool when it is then projected so big on a real museum." Another pupil drew monsters on the museum: "That's nice and crazy and you never normally see that."

Colouring was also busy at Middin's Drentheplantsoen day care centre. They concluded together, "We like to colour: sometimes inside the lines, and now on the facade of a museum."

Awards ceremony

The five best colouring pictures turned in could win prizes such as an overnight stay at Boutique Hotel Salon de Fagel and a drinks board at Jazz Coffee & Wines. The prizes were awarded during the opening ceremony. The winners, with ages ranging from 6 to 43, were delighted to receive their prizes. Seza (one of the winners), aged 8, said, "I wanted it to look like an old castle, with plants and flowers growing on it. I really didn't expect to win so I'm very happy!"

Hoogtepunten over Den Haag

The Hague Highlights is an annual light event in January/February in The Hague. In various ways, The Hague Highlights puts special places in the spotlight to let residents and visitors discover The Hague in a different way. In this way, the light event brings a little extra light into the dark days of January and February. The Hague Highlights is organised by Spinner & Langkous, Mr Beam and Museumkwartier Den Haag and is made possible by the Municipality of The Hague.

About Museum Quarter The Hague

Right on the Hofvijver and on the most beautiful avenue in the Netherlands - the Lange Voorhout - are fourteen unique cultural institutions. Nowhere else in the Netherlands is there such a wealth of culture so close together. The area invites you to discover a diverse range of culture. The institutions work together through Stichting Museumkwartier Den Haag and stand for a refreshing, multi-voiced, colourful counterpoint.