New Head of Light Bureau announced
(Sweden) – Fredrik Hellberg has been named as the new Head of Light Bureau, the company has announced.
An experienced business leader with a deep knowledge in sales and understanding client needs, Hellberg has previous experience from being part of the management team at Sweden-based architect firm Koncept – another design brand in the AFRY portfolio.
Hellberg spent 10 years at Koncept, leading big projects and creating value through good design, among which were several projects with Light Bureau. He will take on the new role on 7 November, leading a team of around 80 lighting designers and engineers across Scandinavia and the UK.
At the same time, Light Bureau is strengthening its international business with Paul Traynor leading international business development. Traynor will continue as Country Manager in the UK and drive Light Bureau’s international presence to become an even stronger competitor on the global market.
“I am happy to see Fredrik return to AFRY in this new capacity,” said Helena Paulsson, VP and Head of the Architecture and Design offer at AFRY. “His experience within leadership and business development will be the perfect fit for Light Bureau.
“I would also like to thank Paul Traynor, who has done a fantastic job of heading Light Bureau through a demanding two years, and I am confident that he will successfully continue leading growth in existing as well as international markets.”
Hellberg added: “I have always been impressed by Light Bureau, home of some of the most skilled individuals in a relatively young, developing industry, and I look forward to working with the best.”
Winners of LUCI Cities & Lighting Awards revealed
(South Korea) – In a ceremony held on 21 October in Busan, South Korea, where the 20th anniversary of the LUCI Association was celebrated, the winners of the inaugural LUCI Cities & Lighting Awards winners have been announced.
Designed for cities and local authorities, the LUCI Cities & Lighting Awards was created to recognise urban lighting projects that reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of urban lighting and show a positive impact on economic, social and cultural development. Held every two years, the awards celebrate cities that have driven projects with the ultimate aim to improve sustainability and quality of life.
The jury for the awards included six distinguished urban lighting professionals: Kristin Bredal, Founder, CEO and Chief Designer of Zenisk; Jean-Michel Deleuil, urban planning professor at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA Lyon); Elisa Hillgen, lighting designer and City of Light coordinator for the City of Jyväskylä; Vincent Laganier, founder and editor of Light ZOOM Lumiere; Keonsoo Nam, Director of Public Urban Design Division for the Busan Metropolitan City; and Esther Torelló, founder of Lightecture Magazine.
Together, they analysed 20 entries received by LUCI from 14 countries. LUCI Cities & Lighting Awards Jury President Vincent Laganier said: “At the heart of the energy crisis, the LUCI Cities & Lighting Awards come just at the right time. This new award highlights quality of life and the environmental dimension through urban lighting.
“Designated by the 2022 Jury, our winners represent this ambivalence of light: how to bring life to the city at night, while at the same time taking care of all the usage, from citizens to visitors? Congratulations for this excellent initiative by the international association of cities of lights.”
The third place winner was Seoul Metropolitan Government, South Korea, for the New Gwanghwamun Square Lighting. The jury valued the transformation of the historic New Gwanghwamun Square with a high traffic density into a harmonious and calm nightscape for the use and enjoyment of its citizens.
“The transformation of this place has been executed with care for history, culture, and place. Attention is pulled towards a multi-layered series of experiences and meeting places,” said the judges. “It is a combination of calm, low scale and stylish lighting. The area has a big meaning for the citizens and visitors.”
In second place was the City of Tampere, Finland, for the Tammerkoski Rapids – Industrial Heritage Reimagined project. Here, the jury recognized the way that lighting makes the history of the city visible during nighttime in a project that values the industrial buildings along the rapids, as well as the historical landmarks, creating a fascinating interplay of light and shadow.
The judges continued: “The project shows excellent and precise lighting of the industrial historical place. It is well planned and well executed letting the beautiful buildings present themselves. All with full control systems that enables adjustments in light levels throughout the seasons and the night.”
The winning project was the City of Izmir, Turkey for the Konak-Kemeralti Lighting Masterplan. Started in 2016, the two-phased masterplan aims to integrate social, ecological, and economical aspects of planning into the process of creating a sustainable future for the city. Although converting to LED reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, the more important objective of the plan was to create a “dialogue” with light.
The jury added: “The jury commented that this lighting master plan integrates social, ecological, and economic aspects. It improves the safety of public spaces while achieving 50% energy savings and reducing the carbon footprint.
“An ambitious approach that combines a global vision of urban spaces and a sensitive consideration of everyday living spaces.
“This project shows how thoughtful lighting is an important part of the social glue that makes us see, meet, experience, and interact. A need that all humans have everywhere.”
Mark Burton-Page, LUCI General Director added: “All these fantastic projects will be highlighted within LUCI’s communication channels and events in the next years. They enrich the long-term collective knowledge sharing process that cities have successfully engaged in at a world level, within LUCI for the past 20 years. We are already looking forward to launching the second edition of the Cities & Lighting Awards, planned for 2024.”
LightFair to move to biennial event schedule
(USA) – LightFair, North America’s largest architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, is transitioning to a biennial event schedule, organisers have announced.
Commencing with the 2023 event, scheduled for 21-25 May at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, the updated schedule will, according to organisers, “better serve the industry’s manufacturing cycle, product marketplace and the overall needs of lighting professionals”.
Dan Darby, Show Director, said: “The lighting industry has been shifting and we took an opportunity to reflect on what we offer and optimise our event in a way that better aligns with industry needs.
“We’ve heard and felt the path of the industry moving and it’s important that we evolve with it. LightFair always has the best interest of our robust community of lighting professionals in mind, and we are excited for its brighter biennial future.”
The schedule change comes as part of an overarching strategic plan, developed by LightFair’s management committee in response to the changing needs of lighting manufacturers and specification. The plan includes new features for 2023, such as partnerships with NYCxDESIGN and ICFF, immersive lighting installations, learning tours, audience expansion to include residential lighting professionals and more.
The new biennial programme will run on a frequency that aligns with every-other-year manufacturing cycles. With the shift, LightFair is expecting to see an increase in attendance from all segments of the industry, providing further business opportunities for lighting designers, distributors, engineers and architects.
“As one of the owners of LightFair, the IALD is excited to embrace this new biennial cadence that we know will best serve our community in the years to come,” said Christopher Knowlton, IALD CEO. “LightFair is evolving, and we encourage our members to join us on this sensational journey.”
IES Executive Director Colleen Harper added: “The Illuminating Engineering Society remains committed to its mission to improve the lit environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public. With this transformation, LightFair will continue to be a mainstay of the lighting industry, allowing us to work together as a community to connect, engage and inspire.”
Countdown begins for Surface Design Show 2023
(UK) – Surface Design Show is gearing up for next year’s edition, which is held from 7-9 February 2023, once again showcasing the best in material innovation. A well-established part of the design calendar for nearly 20 years, the show returns to London’s Business Design Centre in just over 100 days. It provides the perfect opportunity for material experts, and the architectural and design community to come together under one roof.
Visitors to Surface Design Show 2023 will be inspired by new product launches running the gamut of colour, materiality and sustainability, plus diverse displays of surface-based installations and a comprehensive speaker programme featuring accomplished industry professionals, passionate about the future of surface design.
Surface Design Show has already welcomed more than 130 exhibitors to participate. These include Red Dog Glass Design which produces beautiful glass splashbacks; Applelec which specialises in signage, display and lighting and celebrates 25 years in business in 2023 and contemporary metalworking company Novocastrian.
Located right in the heart of the exhibition, Surface Design Show welcomes back Surface Spotlight Live (SSL), an area which gives visitors a chance to touch and compare the latest material prototypes. Centred around this year’s theme, ‘Shaping Communities’, SSL will highlight the importance of new exchanges between surfaces, people and environments. From material transformation to inclusive design, co-creation to sensory wellbeing, SSL will present designs creating thoughtful solutions for interiors and architecture. This section of the show will again be curated by leading trend and colour expert, Sally Angharad.
The talks programme is always a particular highlight of Surface Design Show. The Main Stage, designed by Emily Skinner of recycling pioneers Smile Plastics, will host 18 different presentations and feature more than 40 speakers, inspiring a professional audience of architects and designers.
Setting the tone for the live events programme will be the Opening Night Debate, hosted this year by Jonathan Smales, executive chairman with Human Nature, a leading proponent of sustainable development. The debate, which has CDUK as the official partner, will question how architecture and interior design professions are dealing with the Show’s theme of Shaping Communities.
Over the two and a half days, the Main Stage will host a range of debates, panels, trend forecasts and insights into the latest surface design innovations. It will also be the venue for the Legends Live series of ‘in conversations’ in partnership with Mix Interiors, where industry leaders interview someone they admire.
The PechaKucha evening also returns for 2023 having previously been an entertaining talking point of Surface Design Show. This fast and furious speaking format sees eight speakers battling to get their message across, presenting 20 slides for just 20-seconds each. The evening will be hosted by Nicola Osborn, creative director of design studio Basha-Franklin.
Another popular element of the show is the Surface Design Awards. Now in their 11th year, they continue to set a benchmark for architectural and design achievements across the world. More than 110 projects were entered into the 2023 Surface Design Awards, coming from an impressive 24 different countries. The BAFTA Headquarters in London by Benedetti Architects, which scooped the Supreme Winner award in 2022 set the standard for excellence in surface design. Following the success of its debut last year, the Architectural Photography category returns once more for 2023.
This year the Awards’ judging panel is co-chaired by Jonathan Hagos, Director of architecture studio Freehaus and Nasim Koerting Head of Design at The Office Group, and features a diverse mix of industry professionals who have made a name for themselves amongst their peers.
Tridonic industry event a huge success
(UK) - Tridonic recently hosted a successful and well-attended event; ‘Making Light Work for Business, Buildings and People’. Held at the Business Design Centre in London, almost two hundred attendees joined Tridonic and a host of guest speakers to take advantage of the learning opportunities, keynote speeches and networking.
The event was a day of two halves, with the morning session focusing on the outdoors, ‘Light when and where it is needed’. The session addressed the infrastructure required to enable Smart Cities, including integrated outdoor lighting solutions and how smart street lighting is helping to unlock tomorrow’s cities. The morning concluded with thoughts on how to bring indoor and outdoor lighting together in one single integrated network, ready for the afternoon’s session focusing on the indoors and workspace management.
The afternoon session focussed on a number of the major challenges facing building owners and operators including Health and wellbeing, net-zero carbon and building compliance. The agenda brought a spotlight on Tridonic’s ecosystem of partners, who all play a key role in delivering real business value, a true example of this being the exemplar case study shared on the DL/78 project in Charlotte Street.
The day coincided with the announcement from Tridonic that it is the first company in the electronics sector globally to be Cradle to Cradle Certified.
Keynote addresses were delivered by key industry figures throughout the course of the day including Dr Shelley James, Consultant, Curator and WELL Advisor; Tom Spilsted of Construo; Stephen Jackson of Casambi; Richard Perry of Lucy Zodian and Alison Gallagher from Arup. Richard Strode, Simon Blazey and Johann Hofer from the senior team of Tridonic led the event with talks from Markus Wagenseil, Matt Caygill and Martin Thompson from the wider Tridonic team also.
Adding to the appeal of the day, a ‘Partner’s Marketplace’ was set up as the centralised networking area. This offered attendees the opportunity to preview solutions and services that could benefit their work. Partners included Binary Forge, Casambi, Construo, Holders Technology, and Lucy Zodian, who all had space within the marketplace. An area that strongly demonstrated how the ecosystem of partners collaborate to ensure success not only historically, but also as we move forward with an ever-changing landscape.
A session was held prior to the opening of the event for the media, to offer a preview into the Tridonic Building Asset 360 solution. The event concluded with an open panel discussion, allowing attendees the opportunity to ask questions to the panel of speakers.
Richard Strode, Managing Director of Tridonic UK said: “The Making Light Work event was a great success, with an impressive number of attendees and incredibly positive feedback. We are very appreciative to all our speakers, who gave compelling keynote addresses, covering a range of expert topics. We also extend sincere thanks to our ecosystem of partners, who contribute to our continued success.”
Simon Blazey, Strategic Solutions Sales Manager of Tridonic UK, added: “Seeing so many peers from across the industry was fantastic. The event was so beneficial for attendees, from learning about new solutions to listening to expert talks, everyone took something away from the day. We’re looking forward to organising more events in the future.”
For those who were unable to attend the day in person, Tridonic are currently putting together a webinar which will encompass all of the key insights and takeaways from the event.
Occhio opens new flagship store in Shanghai
(China) – In one of Shanghai’s most prestigious shopping districts, German lighting company Occhio has opened its new flagship store.
A strategically important step towards internationalisation outside of Europe, the store will offer an interactive brand experience, presenting Occhio’s complete product range over approximately 400sqm.
"The new Occhio store Shanghai is an important step in our growth strategy and contributes significantly to positioning Occhio as a luxury lifestyle brand. With this strong presence in one of the most important world metropolises, we are setting a clear statement as an international player. This location is the bridgehead for us in the Asian market," said Axel Meise, founder and designer of Occhio.
The multifunctional concept of the showroom was developed taking into account the local architecture as well as the usual material and colour worlds. In the warm and cosy ambience, light and design are presented in living as well as office situations.
The inviting, bright showroom welcomes its visitors to experience the Occhio world. Illuminated product displays serve to present the various luminaire and spotlight series. They are an invitation to experience the products interactively. The purist white "light lab", gives an idea about the effect of light and lighting quality in a room. People can interactively create their own lighting atmosphere. The Occhio bar and lounge area is an invitation to enjoy the light and ambience and let them experience the brand world. An exclusive VIP room was designed for tea ceremonies and events.
"Our location in Shanghai fulfils three important tasks for us in the Chinese market – it is our head office in China, a training centre for partners and network and, as a flagship store, makes it possible to experience Occhio's culture of light in a sophisticated ambience. We are very much looking forward to presenting the possibilities of our complete product portfolio live and in use to private customers as well as Occhio partners, architects and planners," added Amber Guan, General Manager China.
IALD Enlighten Americas makes triumphant return
Welcoming more than 400 attendees from across the professional spectrum, the IALD Enlighten Americas 2022 conference opened in Palm Springs, California for three days of collaboration and celebration.
Launching on 28 September, the event offered three days of informative sessions from veteran and emerging professionals in the industry, roundtable discussions between manufacturers and specifiers, peer networking, and all the celebratory energy of an international community in attendance.
Guests were treated to an awe-inspiring keynote address by award-winning sculptor Janet Echelman, as well as the induction of two lauded professionals into the IALD College of Fellows: Steve Brown, FIALD, FIES, CLD of Australia; and Ulrike Brandi, FIALD, CLD of Germany.
The in-person event also provided eagerly anticipated gatherings for members of the Lighting Information Resource Council (LIRC), galvanising the collaboration and cooperative insight that the Council provides to lighting designers and manufacturers alike.
Furthermore, the IALD Education Trust welcomed students and educators to the event as a result of Trust-provided stipends, in keeping with the mission to further the advancement opportunities for the next regeneration of lighting design talent.
Christopher Knowlton, IALD Chief Executive Officer, was thrilled to see the enthusiasm coming from the event aptly titled "Into the Sunlight".
He said: “It was rewarding to see so many members of our community coming together for the first time in several years and re-connecting so positively. It really goes to show that the lighting profession is emerging strong and energetic from the pandemic.”
The IALD Enlighten Americas conference will return in November 2023 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Early information regarding speaking opportunities, sponsorship, volunteering, and general attendance will be released in coming months on the IALD website and social media channels.
Organisers hail returning Light + Building a success
(Germany) – With solutions from more than 1,500 exhibitors from 46 countries presented at the returning Light + Building, organisers have described the event as “more than successful”.
Wolfgang Marzin, Chairman of the Board of Management at Messe Frankfurt, said of the show: “We are delighted with the extremely high level of interest shown by the visitors who came to Light + Building Autumn Edition.
“Personal encounters are and remain the central element of trade fairs. Business is done between people. In times of crisis, it takes courage and a willingness to take risks to look positively and solution-oriented into the future. The exhibiting companies have impressively demonstrated this at Light + Building.”
Held from 2-6 October, this is the first time that Light + Building has been held since March 2018, following two and a half years of cancellations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The returning show saw 92,838 visitors from 147 countries travel to Frankfurt. In addition to Germany, the most visitors came from Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Great Britain and Poland, with international participation at 55%. Post-show surveys show a high level of visitor satisfaction, with 95% of trade visitors satisfied with the achievement of their visiting goals and the range of exhibits, while more than 83% are already planning to visit Light + Building 2024.
After this one-off Autumn Edition of the fair, Light + Building will return to its usual Spring slot in 2024, taking place in Frankfurt from 3-8 March.
HLB Lighting Design Principal Faith Baum to retire
(USA) – After an architectural lighting design career that has spanned across 35 years, Faith Baum, Principal of HLB Lighting has announced her retirement.
Led by a passion for theatre and theatre lighting, Baum discovered architectural lighting through a colleague and fell in love with the permanence of lighting design. She took classes at Parsons School of Design and started her career working at The Mintz Lighting Group, beginning as an entry-level designer and ending as an Associate before starting her own firm, Illumination Arts, with longtime friend and colleague Ken Douglas. In 2018, Illumination Arts joined HLB, which, according to Baum, “gave all of us opportunities to focus on our passions and what we do best”.
During her career, Baum has completed iconic projects all over the world – some of her favourite projects include Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge in Worcester, Massachusetts; Veterans Glass City Skyway in Toledo, Ohio; National Audubon Society Headquarters in New York City’ and the Lowry Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Speaking of her retirement, Baum said: “Retiring from a profession and company I love is bittersweet. I’m thrilled to be on the precipice of an adventure, not knowing exactly where it will take me. But I will miss the joy and excitement of working with my friends and colleagues at HLB, meeting new people, and collaborating on beautiful projects.”
Baum will continue to work with HLB in a part-time consultant role for the next year, and will continue to provide meaningful contributions to the firm through select mentorship and marketing activities as she focuses on completing her years-long investment in fellow teammates and principals through the sharing of her knowledge and expertise. Her commitment to mentorship will continue to light the way for the next generation of lighting designers, both within HLB and beyond.
teamLab to open 10,000sqm immersive museum in Beijing
(China) – Art collective teamLab will launch dynamic art space teamLab Massless Beijing in November 2022. Based on the idea that digital technology liberates human expression from material substances, the exhibition will present large-scale installations with no physical boundary separating them from the viewer’s body, creating a heavily immersive experience.
One of teamLab’s largest permanent museums to date, teamLab Massless Beijing will be housed permanently on the top floor of Beijing’s Chaoyang Joy City mall, and will utilise the expansive 10,000sqm of floor space and 11-metre-high ceilings to create an “ever-changing, interactive environment that explores physicality and the borderless continuity between the self and the world”.
teamLab Massless Beijing will feature a representative selection of more than 40 teamLab works, including the likes of Massless Clouds Between Sculpture and Life, Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Colour, Massless Suns and Dark Spheres, Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers and The Infinite Crystal Universe.
On the same floor as teamLab Massless will be U2 by UCCA (U2 for short), a brand-new art museum founded by UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, China’s leading contemporary art institution. The inaugural exhibition of U2 will be a collaboration with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to present Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser. Exploring its origins, adaptations and reinventions over 157 years, this immersive and theatrical show charted the evolution of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from manuscript to a global phenomenon beloved by all ages.
teamLab Massless Beijing will open in 19 November 2022.
Design London welcomes nearly 13,000 visitors
(UK) - The largest contemporary design fair of the London Design Festival, Design London took place from 21-24 September at Magazine London, in the city’s newest design district, Greenwich Peninsula.
The sophomore edition of the event reported a total of 12,686 visitors, from both the UK and overseas, over the course of four days.
Marlon Cera-Marle, Director of Design at Media 10, said, “We’re very pleased with what we achieved this year – not only because this was only our second edition, but also because there was a real sense of excitement and optimism from our industry as a whole, seeing products and reconnecting with our peers in person.
“This year we could not be prouder of our visitor numbers, and the quality of our overall programme. We also witnessed some of the most prominent, industry-wide issues being addressed at our show, from sustainability to waste and material innovation.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us in the last 12 months and made Design London another tremendous success. With my team, I very much look forward to planning our 2023 edition and welcoming the global design communities to our capital once again.”
Organisers have announced that the third edition of Design London will take place on 20-23 September 2023.
Light Collective to host Collected Light exhibition
(UK) – Comprising five artworks created by six different female artists, Collected Light is an intimate showcase of work by women light artists curated by Light Collective.
Held from 14-25 November at the SoShiro Gallery in London, the exhibition will feature a range of mediums, from neon to projection, with works from Kate McMillan (UK/AU), Karolina Halatek (PL), Jacqueline Hen (DE), Tamar Frank (NL), Lauren Baker (UK), and Chila Kumari Burman Singh (UK) on display. The exhibition is supported by formalighting.
In 2019, Light Collecteve started the global project, Women in Lighting, also supported by formalighting, creating a huge community and network of women around the world working with light. Collected Light is part of the project, and the start of the creation of a permanent collection made solely of women light artists. After the London event, the exhibition will tour other cities, with the addition of more women light artists.
The artworks on show are:
In Lucem, 2019 by Tamar Frank: A series of 20 small light panels illustrate – four of which are on display at this exhibition – a seemingly still image with a central focus that gradually blends into different colour compositions. The colour gradients are inspired by the changes in natural light over the course of one day and change very slowly so that the transition itself is not perceived. The artwork is a response to the perception of light as a natural presence. The central focus invites the spectator to slow down and allow the light to draw the viewer in. The diffusion of the image does not allow the eye to focus. As a result, the image will appear to pulsate and float.
Peacock, 2020 by Chila Singh Burman: Burman is celebrated for her radical feminist practice, which examines representation, gender and cultural identity. Peacock was part of the hugely popular neon installation on the exterior of the Tate Britain, Remembering A Brave New World in 2020. She explained: “My Peacock piece explores the birds’ symbolism of re-growth, rejuvenation, beauty and love. The peacock is native to the Indian subcontinent, in this way it is also a reference to my Indian heritage.” Burman works across a wide range of mediums including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film.
Halo, 2019 by Karolina Halatek: The circular-shaped immersive installation is designed to draw out a very personal experience. Visitors interacting with the work have the possibility of discovering a new dimension of their own presence in the contemplative, pure and abstract environment. The title refers to the natural optical phenomena seen around the sun or moon, produced by light in the interaction of ice crystals. The place of the celestial body is given to the art viewer, who becomes a central part of the piece. Halatek is a Polish artist who uses light as a catalyst for experience. She often collaborates with non-artists including quantum physicists, founders of the superstring theory (Leonard Susskind, Roger Penrose, Carlo Rovelli) and precision mechanical engineers.
The Lost Girl, 2020 by Kate McMillan: The Lost Girl is an immersive film-based installation centred around the fictional character of a cave-dwelling girl on the east coast of England. Using DH Lawrence's book of the same name as a starting point, the film narrates the experiences of a young woman seemingly alone in a dystopian future, with only the debris washed up from the ocean to form meaning and language. The film combines McMillan’s various research interests, including the Anthropocene; the role of creativity in forming memory and the consequences of neglecting female histories. McMillan is based in London and is the author of the annual report 'Representation of Female Artists in Britain' commissioned by the Freelands Foundation.
Off Grid Series, 2022 by Jacqueline Hen: This installation investigates the perception of the body in space in the face of the digital realm. How is social media influencing our perception and interaction with the physical space? Mirrors and an arrangement of lights create the illusion of an infinite space of luminosity and darkness. The perception of this space changes with the viewer's perspective inviting them to investigate their self within infinity.
Stardust - The Deep Field (Lenticular), 2018 by Lauren Baker: A six-image lenticular backed by an LED light box, described by Baker as depicting ‘a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter’. Because of the way the lenticular lenses shift how the images are perceived, moving past the artwork brings it to life: suggesting a celestial dance of explosion and implosion, separation and unison, change and repetition. The artwork depicts a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter, inspired by the findings of the Hubble telescope. Hubble’s glimpse into what is known as the deep field has highlighted that we are just one tiny part of a vast system comprising of 100 billion galaxies. As people walk past, the six images appear and merge into one another from different angles, creating a moving image of an exploding star.
All the artists are featured in a new book of the same name also curated by Light Collective. The duo share their reasoning for both the book and the exhibition;
“After 25 plus years in the world of light, it became apparent, that there is an onus on and huge visibility of male artists who work with or have worked with light within their body of work. Many are well known names and are often cited as inspiration in the work of lighting designers. While there are a few names that come up when discussing female light artists – the financially successful artist; Yayoi Kusama, the political rebel; Jenny Holzer and lover of daylight; Nancy Holt, like the rest of the art world, the exposure of their work is less and our knowledge of light artists remains unbalanced in terms of gender. If you want to prove this further, just type the words “Light Artist” into Google - out of the first 15 artists shown by the world’s leading search engine only two are female.”
The Women in Lighting project inspired Light Collective to look at all aspects of representation in the field of light. They found and researched over 150 women creating light-based art, which led to the curation of a book: Collected Light Volume 1: Women Light Artists. The book is a small step towards trying to redress the unfair imbalance in visibility and will be available for purchase at both the exhibition and online, after the event has finished.
Light Collective asked more than 40 women to participate by sharing images of their work. From immersive environments to reactive light, beautiful glowing objects to light that tells a story, this collection of light art from women artists includes a multitude of manipulations of the medium. Directing the viewer to contemplate colour, nature, politics, life and even death, the true power of light as an artistic medium is perfectly portrayed by the artists included.
“Our hope is that by profiling these women artists who use light within their work, we are opening a door for others to do the same and for all to be celebrated and widely known for what they create. We also hope that the beauty of each piece of work offers inspiration to those who discover it and, whilst created by women, is valued as incredible art, non-dependent on gender.”