Stephen Dean in the Elleboogkerk

‘A ladder fits perfectly in a place that connects the earthly with the heavenly world. It appears in so many religions, perhaps all of them. Beyond religion, it is a symbol of upward movement, of rising, of flight,’ says Stephen Dean (1968), a French-American artist known for his use of coloured dichroic glass in his large-scale ladder sculptures.

Light passes through these sculptures and projects patches of colour onto the floor and walls. The light is also reflected by the works, causing the glass itself to become a field of colour. In this way, Dean creates dynamic, light-based art installations. His time-based works and installations evoke different approaches to colour. Often working from existing forms or events, Dean focuses on the immediacy of colour and its ability to transcend language and cultural codes.

Cover image: Stephen Dean, ECHO, 2026 | photo: Mike Bink