Notarishuis
In AI Boom or Bubble, Joop van der Velden explores the meaning of light: from the sacred to the high-tech. His work, created in a stained-glass-like style, forms a bridge between Saint Caecilia, Veldhoven’s patron saint of music and faith, and the EUV light that was ‘tamed’ in Veldhoven and made the development of artificial intelligence possible.
The composition shows a tree inside a bubble – a reference to the oak tree from which the main beam of the historic Notarishuis was cut. Tree-ring research revealed that the wood was much older than previously thought, dating back to 1438, from a site that already hosted a farmhouse in the 8th century. That tree, a symbol of origin and growth, lies at the heart of Van der Velden’s vision.
The circuit boards and light beams in the piece refer to the modern ‘light’ of EUV technology: the light that makes microchips possible, and with them, the rise of AI as our new, man-made source of knowledge and power.
With this work, Van der Velden connects Veldhoven’s past with its future. The light of Saint Caecilia, once a symbol of faith and devotion, meets the bright, analytical light of our time. The question that remains: what will this new light bring us?
