Laarheide - Requiem

Rock’n‘rolling through the streets

This year at Laarheide two newcomers signed up for the design. The men had previously worked at different hamlets, but had known each other since secondary school. “Every year we would continually taunt each other about who was going to win the highest prize”, says Pim. It is not the first design they have submitted to various hamlets, but it is the first they have done together. And that is clear, because ‘Requiem’ is a mix of different ideas which they had already had on the backburner. “Iwan is more for the rough and I’m more for the details”, explains Pim, “That’s why we have a clear division of tasks”.

A requiem, as is the title of this year’s float, is a piece of music which is written and performed for someone who has died. The designers together with Laarheide wanted to depict this in a special way. There are three large skeletons on the float, a mirror image of which are also portrayed by three performers on the graveyard scenery which fills the undercarriage. “It will be a spectacular show, because as soon as they appear, things will start to spook and swing throughout the entire float”, says Iwan enthusiastically. What exactly this will be, the designers were not yet prepared to divulge.

The float will become a large-scale construction kit, with all the trimmings. Extreme forms and movement, LED lighting, performance and alternative materials. So, there is something to do for everyone in the hamlet this year. Iwan explains that it doesn’t always need to be heavy-going. “We started thinking about and testing things at an early stage, so that all that remains is implementing it and putting it together.”

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Pim Verheijen (22) is graphic and spatial designer. He is making his debut this year with ‘Requiem’. This is also the first design by Iwan Goossens (22). He works at vehicle repair shop Van Hasselt.

Original Dutch Text: Robin van Veltom
Translation: Mary Tine
Photo: Eefje Fotografie 

Hamlet Laarheide
www.laarheide.nl

This article is brought to you by Corsief. An independent magazine about corsos in general and the Zundert flower parade in particular. The magazine is produced entirely by volunteers, who are all more or less active in the Zundert flower parade world. Corsief is entirely full-colour and appears four times a year.