Brightening up the dark days of early January, the Lux light art festival illuminates the Finnish capital for 5 days every year.
The installations in the city centre - from Senate Square to the National Opera Amphitheatre - range from handmade lanterns to an electronic pinball machine, performances by fire circus dancers, and mesmerizing music and light creations by well-known Finnish and international artists.
One of the best-known artists is fashion designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada – a household name in her native Spain. Her work, Corazón, with music by D-Facto, captivates viewers at the city’s top tourist attraction the Helsinki Cathedral at Senate Square.
Corazón, which means heart in Spanish, is Ruiz de la Prada’s trademark, as fuchsia hearts appear throughout her clothing, accessories and other design work.
Ruiz de la Prada, in Helsinki for the first time ever, was overwhelmed by seeing her installation at the Helsinki Cathedral. (It has previously been displayed at Lyon's Fête des Lumières.)
“I began to see the relationship between the church and the heart, and it was something incredible. It was one of the most emotional things that I have done in my life,” says Ruiz de la Prada.
Circles of light
Tucked behind the Finnish National Opera, French artist Philippe Morvan’s “Ring[z]” is a hypnotic work of circling flashing light with music by Chinese composer Shenyan Hou.
Versions of the work have appeared previously at festivals in Shanghai and Lyon. This one was specially adapted for Helsinki, where Morvan took part in last year's Lux 2013 with a work called "Cosmogole" that was displayed in the very same spot, albeit in dramatically different conditions, as the city was covered in a thick blanket of snow.
“It was a surprise to see Helsinki without snow, but it was a good surprise because we can see the city differently. Helsinki is a big city of light, there is light everywhere,” says Morvan.
The installations are open to the public from 5 pm to 10 pm daily through January 8. A Lux tram of light designed by Riikka Karjalainen and Alexander Salvesen, lighting design students from the University of Arts Helsinki, circles the city centre during the festival. For the first time ever, an exhibition of light art, Lux IN, takes place at the Cable Factory from 2 pm to 10 pm every day.
Guided walking tours in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian are available as a variety of Lux-related events. All the installations are within walking distance of one another.
For further details on events and installations: www.luxhelsinki.fi
