About the sculpture
Plastic Soup is a layered light sculpture that explores the tension between the ocean’s natural beauty and its growing pollution. Inspired by the increasing presence of (micro) plastic in our seas, the work transforms this invisible crisis into a tangible, spatial experience.
Made from recycled plexiglass, the sculpture consists of transparent layers, each uniquely shaped. Together they form a wave-like structure that appears to move as the viewer walks around it — echoing the fluidity of both the sea and our perception of it.
Installed inside Testtafel’s greenhouse-like space, the sculpture enters into a subtle dialogue with the surrounding architecture. The repetition of aluminium and glass mirrors the layered structure of the piece, as if it belonged there from the start. Situated by the water, where reflected ripples dance across at night, the sculpture becomes part of a living, breathing landscape.
The sculpture has two states. By day, natural UV light charges the luminescent pigments and reveals the plexiglass layers like a glowing sea, polluted and alive with particles. By night, when the light fades, a bioluminescent afterglow remains, reminiscent of marine life such as Zeevonk, shimmering in the dark.
Each speck of pigment was applied by hand. What once began as industrial waste is transformed into a moment of light, reflection, and awareness. Plastic Soup invites us to reconsider the fine line between manmade beauty and environmental consequence — and our place within it.
About the artist
Sander Blomsma is an Amsterdam-based multidisciplinary creative working at the intersection of light design and interior architecture. His work redefines the relationship between conceptual storytelling, technology, and space through objects and installations that transform environments and spark the imagination.
Merging research, design, and technology, his practice creates immersive, sensory-driven experiences. As a light artist, Sander crafts analogue installations that come alive through the interaction of materials, coatings, natural phenomena, and spatial context — inviting dynamic engagement and perception.
📎 www.sanderblomsma.com
📸 @sanderblomsma__
