Festive sea of light
What do Amsterdam, Hamburg, Halle, Salerno, Turin and Zürich all have in common during Advent? The answer is that people can wander around these cities at night as they turn into a sea of light. Light artists illuminate facades and bathe whole streets in cascading colours and images in elaborate productions that will delight the whole family. Come with us as we travel between them.
In what is now its twelfth edition, Amsterdam Light Festival features the work of twenty-four artists from eight countries, such as Liam Campbell who has placed a gigantic smartphone next to one of the city’s canals. This year the festival wants to show the impact that technology and AI have on our everyday lives: “The ways in which we communicate, engage and create.” Tickets can be booked now. What makes it so wonderful is that all 24 light artworks can be enjoyed both from the water and on land.
Amsterdam Light Festival, 30. November 2023 to 21 Januar 2024, https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en
Glittering Hamburg. For almost ten years, Hamburg’s “Passages” district has been enticing visitors with its very special, ingenious LED Christmas illuminations. “Star Magic” links together thousands of LED crystals made by Artemide to create a sparkling cascade above visitors’ heads. The delicate illumination spanning Poststraße and Große Bleichen greatly reduces energy consumption and creates moments of festive cheer. Another highlight was added to the installation in 2019: a five-metre magical ball of light that entices visitors. Each of its 4,220 diamond light crystals can be controlled separately, giving the impression that the five-tonne installation is dissolving. At times, bright reflections encircle the dome before it suddenly turns into a three-dimensional flurry of snow. A real piece of light art.
Hamburger Passagenviertel, Star Magic, from 23 November 2023, https://passagenviertel.com/aktuelles/
Since it opened in 2018, over half a million people have enjoyed the magical worlds of light in Halle. Every winter over 15,000 lights illuminate Bergzoo Halle. They form 300 spectacular light figures created by Chinese lantern artists along a circular trail of more than two kilometres. The new exhibition is called “1001 nights”. Among other things, you can see “Aladdin and his magic lamp” and “Sinbad the sailor”. It promises to take you on a magical journey “through a world of light and silk”.
Bergzoo Halle, 19. December 2023 to 24 February 2024, https://magische-lichterwelten.de
Colourful spheres and small Christmas trees have turned up on Piazza Sant’Agostino. The installation in the traditional Salerno Luci d’Artista unites the city’s streets and squares. The whole area of Largo Dogana Regia and Piazza Sant’Agostino in the historic centre (in particular Via Mercanti and Piazza Sedile del Campo) transforms into a sea of light until the end of January and also features Christmas markets and other attractions.
Salerno Luci d’Artista, XIII Edizione, 24 November 2023 bis 21 Januar 2024, https://www.lucidartistasalerno.co
Turin’s festival of light attracts some big names: the sculptor and concept artist Tobias Rehberger with “My Noon” on Piazza Arbarello, along with Rebecca Horn and Mario Merz. Dozens of light artists are lighting up the city centre with their magical productions. And if you have any time left over, take a look at the Christmas market on Piazza Borgo Dora where you can find traditional delicacies and examples of international handicrafts.
Turino Luci d’Artista, 27 October 2023 to 14 January 2024, https://www.guidatorino.com/eventi-torino/luciartista-torino-2023-2024/
Lucy casts a spell on Zürich. Every year thousands of visitors arrive just to wait for that very special moment when 11,500 diamond LED crystals from Artemide are switched on. The whole crowd cheers like it’s New Year’s Eve! The Lucy light installation, named after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” traditionally marks the start of Advent. From the station all the way to Bürkliplatz, 2,500 strings of light stretch from house to house over a distance of 1.2 kilometres, turning Bahnhofstraße into a beautiful pre-Christmas landscape. Artemide’s lighting control enables over 2,400 different images to be brought to life. Each cascade of light has been individually made and joined together in a single installation by KELLER.MARQUES.SCHIESS Design. Lucy is Zürich’s magical illumination.
Lucy in der Zürich`s Bahnhofsstrasse, from 23 November 2023, https://www.bahnhofstrasse-zuerich.ch/lucy/
The many festivals and light productions show just what can be done in the days leading up to Christmas. Bathed in the right light, even bland facades and drab office buildings become beautiful. Artificial lighting creates light art.
