Melting Glaciers Creates Light Festival in the Alps

36 lightworks in the Alps set focus on the dramatic melting glaciers.

BRIXEN, TYROL, ITALY, May 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Water Light Festival in Brixen hopes the showcase of impressive light art works will make more people realize that the problems with climate change will affect all.

The whole valley surrounding the old monk and monastery city Brixen/Bressanone was lit up 7 hectares (70.000 m2) by small fireboxes set up by the vineyard farmers. It is also a method needed to keep the vines above -1, but is set up to support the festival aswell.

SEE VIDEO NEWS RELEASE- (free to use on all news and social media platforms):
https://vimeo.com/vnrtv/review/940642347/5aadb94878

On the imposing facade of the Brixen Cathedral from the year 980 is the projection work "Climate" by Spanish artist group Onionlab has been set up. It is an artwork showing Utopia, the perfect society we dream about with a world without climate change.

Situated in the Alps, the alarm bells are now on in Brixen, known for centuries to produce great food and its culture by the Italians and visitors. A life that also is threatened by climate change, opposed to dystopia, a catastrophic scenario if we do not intervene.

“My personal opinion about losing the glaciers is losing something which might never, ever come again in this world. So that makes me anxious sometimes” and Werner Zanotti, who also is head of tourism says: “What shall we do about it? First of all, think about. Secondly, reflect. And thirdly, act.“

Professor Georg Kaser, Professor in Glaciers from the University of Innsbruck confirms: “Glaciers are strongly melting and they continue to melt even stronger, until they will be gone here in the eastern Alps in 20-30 years” says Professor Georg Kaser.

Climate change is also going to affect the global economy very strongly and Professor Georg Kaser does not know if people will be able to travel.

The Water Light Festival in Brixen hopes the showcase of impressive light art works will make more people realize that the problems with climate change will affect all.

Spain artist Jordi Pont from Onionlab explains the idea in the impressive work on the Cathedral is, that the world with climate change is a dystopian, dry and gray world marked by the consequences of the climate catastrophe and the utopia that is a bright and harmonious world.

“We think that it is a utopia but we can try to get there”, says Jordi Pont from Spain.

Brixen Water Light Festival has this year invited some of the most important light artists in our time, among pioneers within light art design Francois Morellet, Brigitte Kowanz and Keith Sonnier, aswell as an impressive list of artists from 17 countries, such as USA, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, Czech Republic, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Slovenia, Tunisia, India-Great Britain, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.

Curator Nika Perne explains: “We do art in public space because in public space, the art is not closed in certain venues. I think this is how it can have a big impact. We chose artists that have clear messages, through really powerful storytelling”.

It is only the 6th time the Brixen Water Light Festival, but already among the most important.

The idea in Lunar Oscillations with many moons hanging in an old courtyard Hofburg are an interaction between human and nature, when the moons come close to you and is a reminder of the power of nature.

Another interactive installation is the Aquatics, where the artist makes the human replace nature as the creator. The German artist Philipp Artus explains:
“It's a generative underwater world, where people or the audience can generate their own deep sea creatures and then send them into this kind of aquarium, light sculpture”.

The interacting visitors can determine the type of underwater creature, as well as number, size, shape, color and even behavior. It is not a film and the creator becomes part of the aquarium and everything is just happening one time.
For the artist, Aquatics can be understood as an unreal society.

Another interactive installation is the Aquatics, where the artist makes the human replace nature as the creator. The German artist Philipp Artus explains:
“It's a generative underwater world, where people or the audience can generate their own deep sea creatures and then send them into this kind of aquarium, light sculpture”.

The interacting visitors can determine the type of underwater creature, as well as number, size, shape, color and even behavior. It is not a film and the creator becomes part of the aquarium and everything is just happening one time.
For the artist, Aquatics can be understood as an unreal society.

Visitor Markus Apfelbacher from Germany was also affected by the light art:
“It's a totally different way of approaching these very important topics, and especially from my personal point of view, I think it's easier, accessible if you just transform it, or if you communicate in the way of art”.
Bettina Walz, also curator of the inside exhibition in Neustift Abbey says: “It is very dramatic and here we can experience it. We not only read about it, we not only heard about it, We can have a sensation about how it feels”.
Visitor Annalena Hvala, receptionist says; “It's amazing. So it's my first time here in Brixen and it's so beautiful.”

The Brixen Water Light Festival 2024 will last until May 12.

See more pictures (free to use on all news and social media platforms):
https://brixen.canto.global/b/MKQG1

Anders Kongshaug
Brixen Culture
+45 23 10 30 58
email us here