the neon bubble
A sensory inquiry into the power of neon in painting
19–24 January 2026
Visual artists Astrid Moors (Rotterdam) and Baukje Spaltro (Amsterdam) present the experimental project the neon bubble. This immersive installation explores how neon colours behave within painting, architectural space and perception, and how visitors’ individual responses shape the work.
Both artists have worked with neon in their paintings for many years. For Moors, neon introduces a vibration that charges the canvas with an extra layer of intensity, while Spaltro uses neon as a way to unfold the invisible by inviting intuitive seeing. In the neon bubble, their practices merge into a fluid environment where daylight and black light alternate, and paintings interact with sharp colour fields and subtle tonal transitions.
At the heart of the project is a single question: what happens to perception when you become part of the play between the brightness of neon and the nuance of tonal colour? During interactive perception sessions, visitors are invited to examine their own way of seeing, to intervene in the installation with neon elements, and to test how their perception shifts within this neon bubble. These interactions form the core of the artistic research.
the neon bubble functions both as an exhibition and as a laboratory. It investigates the psychological and cultural significance of brightness at a time when visual overload and rapid imagery dominate everyday experience. By slowing down perception and amplifying the soft glow of neon, the artists ask visitors to look again at how intensity, attraction and attention work in contemporary visual culture.
Perception sessions
Tuesday 20 January: 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00 and 18:00–20:00 (or by appointment on 21 or 23 January).
Open to individual visitors and groups (up to 20 people).
Duration: 1–2 hours. Participation is free; registration required.
Registration: post@theneonbubble.nl
the neon bubble
Opening: Monday 19 January, 17:00–19:00
Exhibition: 19–24 January, daily 11:00–18:00
Final presentation & finissage: Saturday 24 January, 17:00–18:00
More information: www.theneonbubble.nl
Artists
Astrid Moors explores how humans relate to their surroundings (trees, houses and the structures imposed on nature) in paintings that are seemingly calm yet marked by signs of transformation. www.astridmoors.nl | instagram.com/astrid.moors
Baukje Spaltro invites the public to experience the “urban soul” and to build a deeper connection with the cities we inhabit, often working with neon to open up intuitive, atmospheric readings of urban space. www.spaltro.nl | instagram.com/baukjespaltro
Also made possible with support of CBK Rotterdam
