Youth Palace X Pharmacy
Inspired by the flashing LED pharmacy crosses commonly found in Southern European countries, we created a video installation that took these signs as its conceptual and visual foundation. Three identical, custom-built cabinets functioned as video screens, allowing live VJ performances to be projected onto them. The work was commissioned by the DJ collective Youth Palace for their club night at Skatecafé in Amsterdam.
Light Installation
Concept
Technology
Concept
Gijs Pouwels
Matthijs Groos
Construction
Martijn Vos
Visuals
Naiara Trivino
The crosses were constructed from wood and fitted with P5 LED panels to preserve the characteristic low resolution of traditional pharmacy crosses.
For the screen content, we invited 3D artist Naiara Trivino to create visuals aligned with the familiar imagery seen on pharmacy crosses: slightly dated, low-polygon aesthetics reminiscent of early 2000s 3D renders.
Iconic elements such as rotating crosses and the Rod of Asclepius were combined with symbols from rave culture and more absurd juxtapositions, including dancing skeletons, chattering teeth and falling pills.
Following the event, my TikTok case film of the installation unexpectedly gained traction online. It was viewed millions of times, shared tens of thousands of times, and reposted across dozens of accounts, extending the reach of the project far beyond the original setting.