Light art

The light art today is in addition to the painting, sculpture or photography an autonomous art form, which is found in the parent categories of sculpture and installation. Contemporary light artist working mainly with artificial light as a light source. From light art can only be spoken when the use of light sources aesthetic purposes. This is true in most cases not to installations for the purpose of which is merely to make objects in the dark by lighting visible, or that have a secular character character (like the colored lights in traffic lights ), as well as commercial neon sign that is not the scope of conventional designs blasts. Most of the works of light art need to develop their full effectiveness, the substantial absence of natural ( day) light and by competing artificial light sources.

  • 5.1 Gerhard Auer
  • 5.2 Mario Caeiro
  • 5.3 Soke Dinkla
  • 5.4 Gisella Gellini
  • 5.5 John Jaspers
  • 5.6 Mary- Anne Kyriakou
  • 5.7 Katerina Mirovic
  • 5.8 Bettina Pelz
  • 5.9 snails Manfred Burger
  • 5:10 Aleksandra Stratimirovic
  • 5:11 Catja Thystrup
  • 5:12 Matthias Wagner K

Major works of light art

Among the major works of light art include the created by László Moholy -Nagy Light Space Modulator ( 1920-30 ) and the diagonal of May 25 (1963 ), a light strip with a yellow fluorescent tube of the American Dan Flavin. Among the younger representatives of this art be reckoned with their work groups Ólafur Elíasson, Mischa Kuball and Christina Kubisch.

Types of Light Art Through the Ages

In the broadest sense of the term were already those people who used deliberately lighting effects for aesthetic purposes, " light artist ". Such effects could perhaps with the help of fire, candlelight, and gunpowder (see fireworks), but also be achieved, that you inked the daylight through the design of windows.

In a narrower sense of the term can be of light art only since the 19th century speak, because since that time there is the possibility to use advanced lighting techniques for artistic purposes.

Illuminated dance

1892 debuted the American dancer Loie Fuller Folies Bergere in Paris as a living light sculpture with a dance that seemed to celebrate the industrial revolution as an aesthetic event. Wrapped in an oversized white cape crêpe de Chine, extended the range of motion of the arms with aluminum rods into the fabric and illuminated by the sharp beam of a set into the stage floor arc lamp to the audience showed a scenography of flowing and swirling fabric, one is transforming structures of light.

"The SCULPTE de la lumière " - " I form the light ," the dancer wrote about programmatically her work, thus emphasizing the requirement for an abstract art that comes less than a direct expression of social reality, but rather as an assertion of aesthetic world.

Light as an artistic signal

László Moholy -Nagy took 1928 experience with an evolving photography along which the light was first perceived as a medium: " The photosensitive layer, plate, or paper - is a blank slate on which you can record as with light, as the painter with his tools. " But it was a native of Hungary and from 1923 at the Dessau Bauhaus artists make less to do with photography as a medium, but rather about a " new Vision ", an art that comes out of the machine.

Driving element was the requirement for a technical art, a machine art at the height of the social upheavals of the early 20th century for Moholy -Nagy.

Moholy- Nagy developed since 1920 a spatial light modulator, but only in 1930 he showed at the exhibition of the Deutscher Werkbund in Paris. The model consists of a cubic box having a circular opening ( stage opening ) at the front. Around the opening on the back of the plate, a number of yellow -, green-, blue -, red - and white -colored electric light bulbs are mounted. Inside the box, parallel to the front, there is a second plate having a circular opening, which also has different colored electric light bulbs. Single incandescent lights on the basis of a predetermined scheme at various points. They illuminate a continuously moving mechanism that is built partly of transparent, partly fretted materials to provide shade and to achieve linear as possible color projections on the walls of a darkened room.

Fascist productions

Destructive to the experiments Moholy- Nagy and thus also on the visions and utopias of the artistic avant-garde was affected by the political changes in Nazi Germany. The aufscheinende even at Moholy- Nagy cultic dimension of light has been abused by the Nazis as a political tool. With the use of Flakscheinwerfern to the propaganda parades of the Nazis in Nuremberg, Berlin and other German cities, Albert Speer not only proved his penchant for pathos, but also saw himself as a high priest of the calculated use of light and its emphatic effect on the masses. Your monumental Seem wrong at the latest in 1939 from the perspective of anti- fascists one of mankind's oldest ideas into its opposite, namely that, according bring light salvation.

Programmed Light Games

In the second half of the 20th century, the radical concretization of the light was on the agenda. In this way, an attempt was made to tie Bauhaus experiments in a second attempt at of Moholy-Nagy and rediscover the artificial light as an artistic material.

Ever since 1948, developed in Paris, the artist Nicolas Schoeffer, also a Hungarian who like Moholy- Nagy clung to the utopia of a total urban aestheticism, space - dynamic light architectures. Purpose of his activity was a cybernetic city, a city that responds to times of day, temperatures and weather with light and movement. This largely unbroken, future-oriented and technikeuphorischen dimension determined the work of the Düsseldorf artist group ZERO, which included, inter alia, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene and Günther Uecker.

Piene, the most efficient organizer and enthusiastic theorist of this group first developed with flashlights, then increasingly with mechanical, electrically programmed formations true light ballets and light games.

Fluorescent tube art

At the same time, the tendency found in the works of American artists to focus on the 'pure' light and its propagation in space. In 1963, the first icon, the American Dan Flavin until today due to the all of his work: The diagonal of May 25, "a standardized industrial product, a light strip with a yellow fluorescent tube.

In contrast to traditional sculpture and sculpture, which is modeled on the outside with light, the light penetrates at Flavin reversed from the inside out. The aim of the light is not a body, but space. After still life with the single installations Flavin quickly developed a repertoire of light barriers and light corridors and thus became the pioneer for the majority of working in his footsteps artist, involving the diffusion of light in space. His only industrially standardized light tubes arrange themselves under any economic or social purpose, but the laws of space. Walls, ceiling and floor are their carrier, the architecture is the dialogue partner.

Desubjectivized profanity on the one hand and mentally aufscheinende sensuality featuring the work of another American artist James Turrell. Turrell presents the light in his physical factuality, in his metaphysical effect. Turrell is an artist who creates dimensions and limitless looking light rooms.

Together with the works of Dan Flavin, but also Robert Irwin and Douglas Wheeler from the period around 1970, light installations by James Turrell their self-referentiality, the study of light as a material whose physical and optical properties and the time - space -bound action on the viewer.

This demonstration of optical limiting phenomena has been tested in parallel by a number of artists with different individual manuscripts and continued to our own time in public space. Always there is a change between the demonstrative presentation of the fluorescent tubes and the immateriality of a spherical light indirectly generated; between architecture -related accentuation by glowing lines and their dematerialization to a non fassbarem clearance.

In addition to the abstract light art but a second tradition of dealing with light has almost the same time emerged as an artistic medium. It has its roots in the electric sign. Was it in 1879, the development of commercial light bulb, in consequence of which the cities were covered with luminous advertising, so joined the Neonreklamezeichen, the "living flame", as they call the neon tube in America and now masse for in its place in 1912 tracing symbolic advertising emblems or logos used.

While this mode at the beginning of the 1970s suffered a slump, discovered artists as part of their very different artistic concepts, the thin, pliable light tube as an ideal starting material to create with their light structure made of single words, sentences or entire images. Standing of the former, François Morellet, Keith Sonnier and Maurizio Nannucci, so draw the arc tube, Joseph Kosuth, Mario Merz, Bruce Nauman and for the less abstract use.

1968 asked Mario Merz in blue neon sign, what to do: " Che fare " Later he arranged for this very bulbs in numerous variants, a number sequence for the calculation of spirals of the medieval Italian mathematician and philosopher Fibonacci into a depiction of a procedural order of natural and spiritual energy.

The fact that the fascination that emanates from the colorful fluorescent tubes, can be dangerous for the artistic work is also subject of art criticism in this period. Again and again, therefore, pointed out that the integration of these materials into the artistic process only succeed as long as the fascination of the material the aesthetic discourse does not takes a back seat as long as the bright color body is legitimized by a compelling artistic concept and not for decorative end in itself degenerates. A recent example of controversial light tube art the monument for Georg Elser in Munich, Silke Wagner 's work " 8 November 1939 ".

See also: Iconography

Messages on the display

At this point, therefore, easily bored, the art critic towards those artists who are content messages in their works in the foreground. In America, the artist Jenny Holzer made ​​the headlines back in 1982 with their neon sign work by itself. It baffles in converted public space unprepared viewers and passers by messages that run on the electronic scoreboard of Time Square in New York. Where is urging all and advertisements, news and events run by each other, readers are suddenly confronted by the artist with an information panel down with Truismen that they can not place. Such actions are considered to be socially engaged, politically oriented light art.

Projections

Christian Boltanski is an artist who was promoted by the coined by the critic Günther Metken term forensics to track paradigmatischsten producer. In cases with childhood documents followed luminous giant puppets, projections and shadow from simple wire figures that drive as a light -shade structure, as nightmares own interiority, as grimaces a traumatized by the Holocaust society their demonic mischief on the walls of galleries and museums.

Among the pioneers of light art with means of film, video and performance art is one of the artist Nan Hoover. Their main theme is the human body in its being between light and shadow. Light and shade effect in their works a transformed appearance of a former reality and thus the resolution of the once familiar. How to generate any object into the light Asked shadow, so does the human body. Thus, the artist refers to the linking reality of shadow and body within the meaning of Plato 's cave allegory.

In the 80s of the 20th century, the light projection defining medium of light art was. The light emitting apparatus is primarily serve the artist Michel Verjux, Andreas M. Kaufmann and Mischa Kuball. In works of Andreas M. Kaufmann, the iconographic charged and always related to the place of their presentation slide projections uses images from the art and film history, findings from various archives and encyclopedias, Michel Verjux reacts with the power of modern abstraction: The discrepancy between the appearance of the projection and the mostly fragmentary aufscheinenden object of illumination is the central theme of his work.

Also, the Düsseldorf artist Mischa Kuball used as Kaufmann projectors, usually centrifugal projectors, which allow him to change light output or motif incessantly. His artistic work is always adapted to the place. For example, he drew the form of a former Gauleiterbunkers from the 30s on the road with light by and offered at the 1998 Biennale of Sao Paulo Brazilian citizens lamps in the style of timeless design classic and terminated in exchange for their personal lamps as a concentrate of privacy to two luminous areas in the museum together.

As spectacular as extremely simple light work of this artist is considered " refraction house", a small synagogue in Stommeln on the Lower Rhine, barely visible from the main road, nested and hidden. You will be flooded with light from the inside, which seems to be screaming from the windows and the bezel, and pushes the walls of the synagogue, the outer rock there in the darkness, dematerialized all bystanders and puts it in bright light. "Yesterday and Today verschwistern " Second Armin writes in the catalog to this unsentimental memory work.

The works of the latter artists who are representative of a number of other " projection artist " of their generation, live from the aesthetic effect of their medium. However, in contrast to the purists of the 60s and 70s, these artists used mainly (as the word signifies ) as an instrument of communication, visual communication. It is used as a carrier of meaning and refers always to the illusory nature of his projective promise by illustrating that messages can always be at the service of an ideology or a lie. These artists operate a socially engaged art with the help of light as a medium.

LED - light technology

With the development of lighting technology, new applications of light art projects, especially in public spaces arise. Thus, for example with pre- hidden LED networks facades set in motion such as at Uniqua Tower in Vienna. What is decisive in this development is that here the light source, ie, the LED not only provides light, but is simultaneously imaged. One of the most interesting artistic concepts in the German language can be found in Munich in front of the headquarters of Osram, where seven six-meter- high LED stelae represent the platform for changing projects. So this have partially developed reactive site-specific work already media and video artists such as Diana Thater, Bjørn Melhus or Harun Farocki.

Museums and permanent installations

Works of light art in German-speaking countries can be found in Unna ( as a permanent exhibition at the Centre for International Light Art), in the eastern Ruhr area and in the Hellweg region ( " Hellweg - a Way of Light ").

Exhibitions and temporary projects

Since 1997, the Colour Festival at the Bauhaus Dessau takes place, which shows light -based installations and interventions. 2011 and 2012, it is titled "Instead Color: light ". Annually from 2000 to 2011 was held the festival " Arbres en Lumieres ' held in Geneva and the Brunswick periodically " Lichtparcours ". Since 2002, the Luminal in Frankfurt and the light trails in Lüdenscheid take place. Since 2004, every three years to align the International Light Festival Winterthur in Winterthur. Since 2007 is the projection Biennale "Light View" in Bad Rothenfelder instead. 2009 was carried out in Hannover the project Neulicht the lake. 2010 was part of the Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010, the first Biennale for International Light Art under the slogan "open light in private spaces" instead, it inspired the first Biennial of light art Austria. 2011, the light flows were realized for the first time in Koblenz. In 2012 Amsterdam was the Amsterdam Light festival to start with a presentation of the city icon " Skinny Bridge " the internationally recognized Dutch light artist Titia Ex

Curator / inn / s

Overview of the curator / inn / s who work several times and regularly on the topic of light in art in the present:

Gerhard Auer

  • " Lichtparcours " Temporary interventions in Brunswick, 2000
  • "Bridges and light," Permanent installations in Hamm, 2002
  • " Tungsten goals," Permanent interventions in Bochum since 2003
  • " 7 towers - 7 Lights " Temporary interventions in Brunswick, 2003/2004

Mario Caeiro

  • " Luzboa " festival in Lisbon, 2004, 2006 ( adjusted )
  • " Skyway " Festival in Torun, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Soke Dinkla

  • " Ruhrlights " exhibition in the Ruhr, 2007, 2008, 2010

Gisella Gellini

  • "Light Blade " Light Art Installation - Nicola Evangelisti, GAM - Milano, April 2009
  • " Dan Flavin - Panza Collection", Museu Berardo - Lisboa, June 2009
  • " Luces - Light Art from Italy", Archaeological Museum - Frankfurt, April 2010
  • " NOW Archaelogical Shadows " Exhibition of Fabrizio Corneli, Archaeological Museum - Frankfurt, April 2012

John Jaspers

  • " Centrum artificial light in de art" museum in Eindhoven, 2008-2011 (closed)
  • " GLOW " ( co-curator ), Light Art Festival in Eindhoven, 2010, 2011
  • "Centre for International Light Art ," Museum in Unna, since 2012

Mary- Anne Kyriakou

  • " Smart Light Sydney " festival in Sydney, 2009
  • " Sydney Lights On " Festival in Sydney, 2011
  • " Smart Light Singapore / i Light Marina Bay " festival in Singapore, 2010, 2012

Katerina Mirovic

  • " Svetlobni gverili " festival in Ljubljana, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Bettina Pelz

  • " Light trails " (with Tom Groll ) Festival in Lüdenscheid, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2013
  • " GLOW " (with Tom Groll ) Festival in Eindhoven, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • " Narracje " Festival in Gdansk, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • RUHR.2010 - Temporary interventions in Essen, Dortmund and Hagen, 2010
  • "Light flows" ( with Tom Groll ) festival in Koblenz, 2011, 2012
  • " Colour Festival at the Bauhaus Dessau ," Festival in Dessau, 2011
  • "Switch on Beijing" ( co-curator ), Festival in Beijing
  • " International Light Festival Winterthur " festival in Winterthur
  • "Light Marks " ( co-curator ), Festival in Sønderborg, 2017

Manfred Schneckenburger

  • " Lichtsicht " Festival in Bad Rothenfelde, 2009, 2011, 2013

Aleksandra Stratimirovic

  • " Beograd Svetlosti " festival in Belgrade, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • "Light Marks " ( co-curator ), Festival in Sønderborg, 2017

Catja Thystrup

  • " Illumenarts " gallery in Copenhagen, since 2008
  • "Light Marks " festival in Sønderborg, 2017

Matthias Wagner K

  • " Hellweg - a light path ," Permanent light art interventions in the Hellweg region, since 2002
  • " Biennale for International Light Art - open light in private spaces", Ruhr2010, Hellweg region
  • " Angela Bulloch, Andreas Oldörp, Jun Yang ", " LightArtSpace - Saint Reinoldi " Ruhr2010, Dortmund
  • "More Light ", Goethe -Institut Budapest ( with Rona Kopeczky ), 2012/2013

Awards

Wolfgang Lightmaster received the " Festival of Peace PAX 2007 " the " Augsburger Future Award 2007 " for his project "City Illumination water - power - light ". A channel section and a hydroelectric power plant in the Middle Lech in Augsburg were illuminated light artistic, and thus the relationship of running water channel and hydroelectric power plant was visualized. A through the darkness so far removed from architecture was temporarily moved in public interest.

Terms and Ratings

In art, design, theater and architecture is reflected dealing with daylight and artificial light on the fundamental aspects of artistic and creative practice, therefore, have in general parlance been enforced no uniform linguistic terms that are linked to qualitative parameters. An exception is the " ( architectural) lighting design " with the development of professional associations (including " Professional Lighting Designers Association / PLDA " based in Gütersloh ) and the development of new higher education study programs (including University of Applied Sciences Hildesheim lighting design).

Promotion of Light Art

In 2002, a coalition of cities was established, the " LUCI " ( Lighting Urban Community International ) is called. It is on the Italian word " luci " alluded ( German " lights "). One of the objective of the network is, by promoting light art, mainly in the form of illuminations, to create an urban identity. An important tool for approaching this goal are "Festivals of Light", which are held regularly.

Movies

  • LIGHT ART. Three-part TV series à 26 minutes from Marco Wilms. Producer Christian Beetz. Germany 2006. Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion / ZDF / arte.
  • "Light is what you see. Outstanding works of contemporary light art " shows in three shipments highlights to light art. With John Armleder, Angela Bulloch, Keith Sonnier and Peter Weibel.

Important artists / inside

  • Appelt herself
  • Waltraud Cooper
  • Olafur Eliasson
  • Dan Flavin
  • Nan Hoover
  • Rebecca Horn
  • Kazuo Katase
  • Mischa Kuball
  • Heinz Mack
  • Francesco Mariotti
  • Mario Merz
  • Laszlo Moholy -Nagy
  • Francois Morellet
  • Bruce Nauman
  • Otto Piene
  • Nicolas Schoeffer
  • Keith Sonnier
  • James Turrell
  • Marian Zazeela
  • ZERO
Electronic signage Cult (religious practice) Cybernetics Zero (art) Johann Georg Elser 8. November 1939 (Denkmal) Forensic identification Magere Brug Lech (river) Waltraut Cooper László Moholy-Nagy François Morellet Jan van Munster Christian Schoen Daylighting
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