Each year, GLOW shines a light on emerging talent. Educational institutions, student teams, partners and local initiatives work together to create projects that are presented to the public during GLOW.

Many of the projects were developed within the GLOW Academy: the place where students from TU/e, Fontys and SintLucas collaborate with industry experts. In this creative environment, they refine their ideas, receive masterclasses from seasoned light artists and build innovative concepts. In addition, other young talents also had the opportunity to take part in the Talent Awards.

The award offers students a chance to showcase their work to a wide audience and further develop their project for a future GLOW edition. It is a platform where knowledge, creativity and innovation meet — and where the makers of tomorrow take their first steps.

We are proud to present the winners of 2025.

Audience Award 2025 – Perception (Team IGNITE, TU/e)

Visitors cast an impressive number of votes this year. The Audience Award goes to Perception, the installation in which Team IGNITE explores how light art can be made more accessible for people with visual impairments. In Perception, you experience light through sound, warmth and touch — an innovative piece that moved many visitors and invited them to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Jury Award 2025 – Kubus Bos (Praktijkcollege Helmond)

The jury evaluated all projects on GLOW’s core values: accessibility, innovation, connection and wow-factor. The Jury Award goes to Kubus Bos, an ode to Helmond’s iconic cube houses. Students from Praktijkcollege Helmond, working together with regional partners, created one hundred illuminated cubes that pulsed in sync with the music. A valuable and ambitious learning experience with a beautiful result.

Out of the Box – Neo Toilet (Jessica Kuhn)

Director Ronald also highlighted an Out of the Box project: Neo Toilet by artist Jessica Kuhn. What began as a guerrilla intervention — an ordinary portable toilet that unexpectedly appeared as a glowing, pink-red light object — has grown into an iconic artwork with a playful twist.

Neo Toilet raises questions about what defines art and how context shapes our perception. Now that the piece officially forms part of GLOW, those questions become relevant once again. A gentle reminder that anything can be art, as long as you dare to look differently.

On behalf of GLOW, we congratulate all winners and thank all nominees for their dedication and the inspiring projects they created. Every concept was unique and carried a strong story.

The Talent Awards were made possible by Simac.