The sixth Winter Lights festival brings together 25 unique light installations from all over the globe, with some old favourites returning. Here’s a sneak peek at the seven first-timers.
1 Affinity
Affinity, by Amigo & Amigo and S1T2, pictured above, allows the visitor to step into a series of interconnected globes representing neurons and memories in the brain. Each touch generating colourful light streams that flow outwards into the sculpture and link to another globe.
2 Squiggle
Debuting from Down Under in New Zealand and twisting throughout Jubilee Park is Squiggle by Angus Muir. The artwork is born from 450 metres of digital neon tubing. The sea of twists and turns allows visitors to interact with the installation by viewing it from different angles.
3 The Clew
The Clew by Portuguese artists Ottotto, weaves its way into the fabric of the estate, with 100 sharp red strobes entwined in the structure of Cubitt Steps bridge. The minimalistic design creates a series of captivating reflections on the water and structures, giving a different perspective on the architecture of Canary Wharf.
4 Lactolight
From the UK, Lactolight reimaginines milk bottles as low-quality pixels, the LED artwork highlights the decrease in the quality of our world’s environment.
5 Ditto
Another homegrown debut is Ditto, by Ithaca. This repeating column of light drifts above and below audiences. Sound accompanies the swirling motion, creating a relationship with the artwork, while the mirrored discs reflect spectacularly both night and day.
6 Aquatics
Aquatics, by German artist Philipp Artus, is an interactive light installation in which animated water creatures swim around and interact with each other. Visitors are invited to design their own water creatures by making choices about their shape, colour and behaviour, which is then projected onto a wall.
7 Mi-e dor de tine
Also debuting is Daisler Association’s, Mi-e dor de tine, which means ‘I miss you’ in Romanian. The piece represents a special link with the Romanian Light ON festival in the city of Cluj and was installed in Canary Wharf in November as an early preview of the Winter Lights festival.
What they say
Canary Wharf public art curator Keith Watson said, “Each year we look forward to seeing such a diverse audience visiting Canary Wharf. This year we’ve extended the opening hours to make the festival even more accessible to families.
“The stunning immersive and interactive artworks will thrill and astound visitors – and we hope it goes some way to inspiring the next generation.”
Winter Lights 2020 will run from Thursday 16 January to Saturday 25 January. This year’s festival has extended opening hours, beginning at 4pm, and runs over two weekends.
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