The UK’s light art biennial, Lumiere, is set to light up the city – and the wider county – from today turning it into a nocturnal art experience which runs until Sunday. Georga spottiswood reports.
It’s a spectacle to behold and with more than 40 different installations lighting up Durham city – and the wider county – and Lumiere 2023 has been billed as the “biggest one” to date.
The bi-annual light festival returns today and runs until November 19, from 4.30pm-11pm each night.
Led by world-renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, the programme features over 40 installations. This year installations extend beyond Durham city with a special county spotlight on Bishop Auckland.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s immersive artwork Pulse Topology centres on the theme of human connection and the Cathedral itself becomes a remarkable living expression of the heartbeats of Lumiere visitors.
Ai Weiwei’s extraordinary work, Illuminated Bottle Rack – installed in Durham Cathedral’s 11th-century Chapter House – incorporates 61 antique chandeliers. It is the first time it has been shown in the UK.
20,000 visitors are expected to visit Durham city each night of Lumiere. For a full list of restaurants, cafes and bars to visit during the event, check out www.lifeindurham.co.uk
Liquid geometry by Javier Riera features a series of three-dimensional projections on Palace Green.
Pulse Topology by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at Durham Cathedral reacts to the beating hearts and pulses of people.
On Blank Pages by Luzinterruptus ay Millennium Place features a display of hundreds of notebooks
Watchtower by Ron Haselden encompasses drawings from schoolchildren across the UK and Europe.
Hurts So Good by Chila Burman MBE will take over Durham Market Place with a selection of new and existing signature neon-light artworks that together celebrate Burman’s rich Hindu-Punjabi heritage.
For a full list of all the Lumiere 2023 installations, tickets (which are free) and visitor information, visit: www.lumiere-festival.com
