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Launching lamp series 'Uit de gracht'. During the art route in Leiden on Saturday September 24 and Sunday September 25, light artist Mark Flipse will present the first lamps made from waste: 'uit de gracht' / 'from the canal'

Every Sunday, volunteers from De Grachtwacht paddle through the canals of Leiden in canoes, collecting and studying floating litter. With their Plastic Spotter canoe fleet, they regularly find loose and stray boat fenders. They are often weathered and leaky. Because they hung in the canal for years, each one has its own brown and green dirt patterns. So each fender is unique and has its own character. Light artist Mark Flipse upcycled the fenders and gave them a new life. He transformed them into hanging lamps. Parts of the lamp were 3D printed with bioplastics (PLA with lignin) by Bastiaan Luijk of Studio BL in Leiden.

The thickness of the plastic and the dirt on the fender determine how much light they let through. Both when turned off and on, the lamp creates a special pattern and atmosphere. Mark is happy to present each one to you in his studio at Haagweg 4, during the art tour 'Kunstroute' this weekend. Part of the profit will go to De Grachtwacht. So not only do you buy a unique art object, but you also contribute to plastic-free canals.

The Canal Watch

With the bridge keeper's house on the Marebrug, where the Grachtwacht is located, biologists Liselotte Rambonnet and Auke-Forian Hiemstra together with many volunteers put the spotlight on plastic from the canal. The house is furnished with reused materials and items from the canal, such as the flagpole, toilet brush, table, coat rack, so much floated by in the canal They regularly collaborate with Leiden artists and furniture makers. With this lamp series 'from the canal' they literally shine their light on plastic pollution in Leiden and you too can incorporate a canal find into your home!

More info on Mark Flipse: www.markflipse.com