Icarus and the flying city

The French Skertzò illuminates the Eindhoven City Hall using video projections. These projections give the impression that the facade is breaking open, revealing the interior of the building. The structure turns out to be an ingenious machinery that continuously remodels and develops its surroundings, portraying Eindhoven as a city where the impossible is attempted to be made possible.

When Arthur Spronken’s heavy sculpture appears to develop wings, it seems to detach from the building and take flight, making a clear reference to the myth of Icarus. Icarus made wings from wood, feathers, and wax to fly. During his flight, he became overconfident, disregarding warnings from his father, and flew too close to the sun. The wax of the wings melted, and Icarus plummeted into the sea. The projected story has an open ending, but the warning from the creators is evident.