Koninklijke Lijnen

On the evening of the royal succession on April 30, 2013, Mothership paid a striking tribute to the Dutch monarchy with the artwork Koninklijke Lijnen (Royal Lines). This monumental project projected the silhouettes of then-Queen Beatrix and her son, King Willem-Alexander, onto the Nationale Nederlanden building in Rotterdam. The regal intervention transformed the city’s skyline into a powerful visual symbol of the transition of the throne.

Rotterdam entrepreneurs, the municipality, Nationale Nederlanden, and Mothership joined forces to make this unique gesture possible. For the occasion, Mothership brought together artists Gijs van Bon and Thijs Kelder (Studio Ruwedata) to collaborate on the concept. Thijs created a fluorescent orange line drawing that served as the foundation for Gijs’s laser animation. As night fell, the animation came to life — symbolically showing Queen Beatrix stepping aside for her son.

Mothership was responsible for the concept development, design, execution, project management, and production. This royal gesture was made possible with the support of Rotterdams LEF, the Municipality of Rotterdam, Nationale Nederlanden, and other dedicated partners.