Runway for Extraterrestrial Cultures, artwork in Houten, Netherlands
Runway for Extraterrestrial Cultures is an art installation in Houten, Netherlands, designed to look like a landing strip for spacecraft. The project features two roundabouts at a highway exit equipped with a platform with light green coating, a large red letter U, and a 6-meter-tall control tower, while a 300-meter stretch between them is lit with blue lights embedded in the ground.
The art installation was created in 2003 by Martin Riebeek and is part of the Sleutelwerken collection, which showcases various artistic projects in the region. The work was inspired by the idea of imagining a future where people could make contact with inhabitants of other worlds.
The artwork invites visitors to imagine what it would look like to welcome visitors from space. The markings and lights create a playful space that sparks curiosity about the unknown and brings people together to wonder about possibilities beyond our world.
The installation is located at the A27 highway exit in Houten and is easy to spot when driving or cycling past. Visitors can walk through the area to view the markings and lights up close and take photographs from different angles.
The control tower on the western roundabout changes its light color based on traffic flow on the highway, playfully signaling when it would be a good time for UFOs to land. This interactive element ties actual road traffic to the artistic vision, making the installation more than just a static artwork.
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