Eindhoven, 8 October 2026 – What happens when 100 years of public health is translated into light art? During GLOW 2026, GGD Brabant-Zuidoost and artists’ collective Ploeg-e are joining forces on Contours of the City at Clausplein. The light artwork brings together light, language and sound, including the voices of centenarians from the region. Visitors are invited to look, listen and engage in conversation about the health of the region, both now and in the future.

Contours of the City is part of GLOW, which takes place from 7 to 14 November under the theme CONNECT. According to Anne-Marijn de Wit, Director of GGD Brabant-Zuidoost, the theme is a fitting one for the organisation’s 100th anniversary: “Healthy residents are an essential condition for being able to do all the things our region is known for. That is why the theme CONNECT fits our 100th anniversary so well. How can we remain ‘eternally healthy’? That is the question at the heart of our anniversary year. And we believe that connection between people is an important part of the answer.”

Health as part of light art

At Clausplein, illuminated human silhouettes come together to form a city skyline. They emit a warm, diffuse glow and are accompanied by words, voices and stories based on conversations with local residents about healthy living. The focus is therefore not on the city’s buildings and streets, but on the people who make up the city and how they experience health and connection.

The audio fragments from interviews with centenarians from south-east Brabant are taken from the anniversary exhibition Eeuw(ig) Gezond (Forever Healthy). This year, GGD Brabant-Zuidoost is taking the exhibition to all 21 municipalities in the region. During GLOW, the exhibition can be visited at DENF Coffee Bar. The exhibition features, among others, young people talking about mental wellbeing, parents sharing their experiences of raising children, and centenarians reflecting on healthy ageing. In this way, different perspectives on health and healthy living come together.

Artists’ collective Ploeg-e

The artwork is being developed in collaboration with Ploeg-e, a multidisciplinary Eindhoven-based collective made up of writers, the city poet, a light artist and a designer. The five creators work on projects that use language and literature to offer new ways of experiencing Eindhoven’s public spaces. For this project, they are bringing together their expertise in words, design and light.

Connecting with one another

For GGD Brabant-Zuidoost, engaging with residents across the region is extremely important. During GLOW, members of staff will be present near the artwork, which is located in front of the GGD’s headquarters.

Anne-Marijn de Wit: “GLOW gives us the opportunity to engage in conversation with a wide range of people from our region. Contours of the City encourages visitors not only to look at art, but also to reflect on what health means to ourselves and to others. That sense of meeting and dialogue fits very well with the way we view public health.”