The artist was commissioned by the Luzboa light festival in Lisbon to ask children from Cova da Moura, a suburb of the city, to draw a picture of their ideal family. The living conditions in Cova da Moura are far from ideal. The neighborhood experienced explosive growth in the 1970s and 1980s as thousands of immigrants sought refuge there and tried to build a life with minimal resources. Crime, poverty, and unemployment rates remain high.
For some children, the drawing of the ideal family may have been a representation of an idea: The Family Idea. Haselden enlarged the drawings to larger-than-life size and translated the pencil lines into light. These dream families in light now populate the banks of the Dommel River.
About the artist
As a sculptor, Ron Haselden has never limited himself to a specific material or technique. He works in various ways and occasionally ventures outside the realm of art as a researcher. Since the 1970s, he has regularly worked with light, particularly in projects with a social-cultural character.
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