Two major light art festivals take turns to stage a splendid feast of light
As the New Year approaches, captivating light art festivals are taking place around the world, adding a vibrant display of light and shadow to the winter season's end. Below, we have selected works from the Lyon Festival of Lights in France, Durham Lumiere Festival in the UK, and Toranomon Light Art Festival in Japan, allowing you to "visit" all three festivals at once!
Durham Lumiere Festival
Embracing the principles of sustainability and artistic freedom, Lumiere Festival, held biennially since 2009, has attracted over a million visitors and showcased more than 360 exhibits created by over 12,000 artists.
During the exhibition, exceptional light artists from around the world use their extraordinary imagination and creativity to construct luminous and colorful imaginative spaces in familiar corners of Durham.
Illuminated Bottle Rack
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei brings the Illuminated Bottle Rack consisting of 61 antique chandelier branches, which will be installed in the Chapter House of Durham Cathedral.
This magnificent and extraordinary piece was first created in 2018 and will be exhibited in the UK for the first time. Inspired by Marcel Duchamp's "Bottle Rack," the artwork uses a large, inverted bottle rack as its chandelier branches.
Pulse Topology
Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer presents his immersive piece, Pulse Topology.
This colossal work consists of thousands of interconnected light bulbs. Visitors can activate the flickering rhythm of each bulb by recording their own heartbeat using the installation. As you walk amidst this pulsating and shimmering array, you will undoubtedly be captivated.
Hurts So Good
The theme of climate change also finds expression in this year's light festival.
Outstanding visual artist Chila Burman from the UK exhibits her work, Hurts So Good, which disrupts the numbness of everyday life through art, prompting people to pause and contemplate previously overlooked themes. This is the essence of Chila's artistic expression.
In Plants We Trust
Renowned for his use of bright colors, British artist Yinka Ilori's work is created for his hometown of London. His artwork expresses admiration for plants that thrive in urban environments.
Universal Loom
Spanish artist Daniel Canogar's work, Universal Loom, illuminates the exterior wall of the Ogden Centre, home to Durham University's Cosmology and Astronomy research.
This piece is an animated projection resembling textile patterns and draws inspiration from string theory, illustrating the interwoven nature of space and time.
Worth mentioning is that this artwork was created using astronomical data obtained by a project team led by Professor Carlos Frenk from Durham University's Physics Department.
Toranomon Light Art Festival in Tokyo
The Toranomon Light Art Festival is an immersive light art festival closely integrated with the city blocks. It is a new winter touring event where people can stroll through the city and enjoy the art of light and shadow.
Around Toranomon, Minato Ward, Tokyo, seven creative light art installations from global artists have been carefully selected. Visitors can experience a diverse and integrated artistic experience as they stroll through the city during the Christmas and New Year season.
Firefly Field
Countless light points dance in the darkness, simulating the floating of fireflies.
Industrial designer Wouter Widershofen and artist Castres Bourg use tiny LED light devices housed in transparent capsules to create hundreds of light points. By connecting them with metal wires and miniature motors, the unpredictable lights move naturally within the surrounding environment.
Nest
Artists Vikas Patil and Santosh Guja from India have created Nest, inspired by the nests of weaver birds.
Following the principles of exoskeletons, the structure is inverted from the inside out. The artists were inspired by these trends, offering us the opportunity to view architecture with an open mind. For us humans, it may be beneficial to reconsider whether we only need to construct permanent structures.
My Light is Your Light
Lebanese artist Alaa Minawi's light installation features life-sized figures made of six curved neon tubes, standing as if they have embarked on a long journey from a distant place.
The artist had served as a refugee interpreter from 2010 to 2014 and believed that the refugees he encountered emitted a gentle and serene light, similar to the glow of neon tubes.
The six figures represent a refugee family, with the smallest child seemingly discovering something interesting, being the only figure looking upward. This installation portrays both harshness and hope.
On the Wings of Freedom
In one corner of the neighborhood, hundreds of vibrant butterflies gather, soaring upward.
Italian art studio Aether & Hemera conveys the message that technology is rapidly transforming society in dazzling ways, but our contemplation of these changes is too slow. Through the theme of butterflies, the artists suggest that a city can only truly be a city if it constantly evolves.
