3D artwork Levensboom brings a colourful universe to Amare

August 2025, interview

Every two months, Vertical Video presents a new video work in Amare’s public space. In September and October, the featured piece is Levensboom (Tree of Life). We asked the artist, Jochem van der Hoek, five questions to find out more about the piece.

In September and October your video artwork will be on display Amare. Can you tell us more about its meaning?
'I created the drawing intuitively without thinking too much about a specific meaning. I like drawing universes that can fill the whole page. In a way, it’s a drawing of the entire world and all the contrasts that come with it: beauty and ugliness, love and hate, cute and creepy creatures. I call the work Levensboom (Tree of Life).'

Can you tell us more about the creation process?
'I started with a ballpoint drawing on a big piece of paper. I digitally scanned the drawing and traced various elements by hand in Paint 3D. This is a version of the well-known Microsoft Paint programme that got introduced with Windows 10. It offers users an accessible way to create, edit and animate 3D-models without advanced technical knowledge. In Paint 3D, drawings can easily be provided with colours, textures and lighting, resulting in a vibrant 3D world. The final video being shown in Amare is a screen recording in which I show the 3D drawing from different perspectives and zoom in on details.'

Is there a connection between Amare and your artwork?
'The proportions and the composition of the initial pen drawing matched with the projection space at Amare. Once the drawing was provided with colour and depth and was positioned in the virtual space in Paint 3D, it became a dynamic and colourful canvas. Viewers can feel as though they are stepping into the drawing from within Amare.'

What else do you do as an artist and where does your inspiration come from?
'As a child i enjoyed drawing, but over the years I mostly stopped doing it. Some time ago I started tattooing, and by working out ideas and making designs for these tattoos I rediscovered drawing. 

My biggest inspiration is listening to and making music. I began playing the piano as a child and later became interested in electronic instruments. Nowadays I mainly make music on my laptop. More recently, I've also taken to collecting toys that look visually appealing.'

What do you hope passers-by and visitors take away from your video artwork?
'I hope it makes them happy!'

Discover more about Jochem and about Vertical Video.

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