Each winter, just at the point when those of us living in Europe’s northern reaches have hit the depths of darkest despair — which is to say, February — an intense green beam splits the Copenhagen night sky.
It is not an alien spaceship. It’s a work of art.
“Green Beam” is a signature part of the Copenhagen Light Festival, an annual collection of outdoor installations that inject glowing artistry into the long Nordic nights. But the Danish capital is hardly alone in this project. Through March, cities across Europe disperse winter’s gloom with light festivals that last anywhere from a couple of nights to several months.
Distinct from the decorative Christmas lights that go up in many cities around the world, these festivals are more expressive. Some, like Berlin’s, consist primarily of colorful illuminations of urban monuments and other landmarks. Others, like Prague’s (held in mid-October) or Copenhagen’s (Jan. 29 to Feb. 21), act as showcases for contemporary artworks that use light as their medium.
The festivals encourage both locals and visitors to see winter in, well, a new light. “We don’t want to hide the darkness,” said Frederikke Krogh, the Copenhagen festival program manager. “We want to embrace it.”
Here are some of this season’s other notable light festivals.
Turin, Italy
Luci d’Artista
Through Jan. 10
Luci d’Artista, which started in 1998, is one of Europe’s more ambitious light shows. It consists of a permanent collection of about 30 pieces, which are reinstalled each year, plus a few new works that are commissioned for each edition. “Ever since we began, my team and I have treated the project as a real contemporary art institution,” said the festival’s curator, Antonio Grulli.
Source: www.nytimes.com
