London Gets Lit Up for Lumiere London 2018
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has hailed the upcoming Lumiere London as one of the most spectacular free events to ever take place in the capital, as producers Artichoke reveal ten of the artworks coming to London for the UK’s largest light festival.
The newly-revealed works include:
- Interactive illuminated singing see-saws in South Molton Street in Mayfair
- An immersive work that imagines a world underwater at King’s Cross
- A meditation on time from the Industrial Revolution to the present day projected onto the iconic Hotel Café Royal building on Regent Street
- Flamingos flying through Chinatown London
- A triptych of animated self-portraits in Leake Street
- Matisse-inspired animation dancing across the facade of the Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The incredible line-up of artworks announced today gives a flavor of what an amazing and international festival Lumiere London 2018 will be. Even bigger, brighter and bolder than its inaugural event, we will see some show-stopping installations reimagining London’s iconic architecture and streets.
“I’m also delighted that this year we are organizing community projects in outer London boroughs to ensure that as many Londoners as possible can get involved with this world-class event. Festivals like this showcase London at its international, creative and open best.”
Commissioned by the Mayor of London, and produced by arts charity Artichoke, Lumiere London is the capital’s largest art event and is free to attend, receiving major support from London & Partners, London’s West End, King’s Cross and Bloomberg Philanthropies with additional support provided by a host of partners and funders including Wellcome, The Fitzrovia Partnership and the Victoria, South Bank and Waterloo BIDs, Cain International, Marriott and Universal Music.
Following the spectacular success of the first Lumiere London in January 2016, which saw 1.3 million visits over the four nights and a visitor spend of £22m, the nocturnal festival is designed to lift the spirits in the darkest days of winter and show the city in a new light. More than 40 artworks made using the medium of light, will explore the city’s most iconic buildings, landscape and architecture. The festival features artists from across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Canada amongst others.
Bigger, brighter and bolder, the second edition of Lumiere London extends from North to South across the River Thames through six areas: King’s Cross, Fitzrovia, London’s West End (including Carnaby, Chinatown London, Leicester Square, Mayfair, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, St James’s, St James’s Square, St James’s Market and Seven Dials), Westminster & Victoria, and Southbank & Waterloo.
Londoners will also have the opportunity to take part in the creation of a number of festival artworks. The London Boroughs of Greenwich, Lambeth, Redbridge and Waltham Forest will be supporting a programme of community activities to help produce a series of choreography and performance workshops to create the glowingly beautiful Umbrella Project by Bristol-based Cirque Bijou, roaming artworks that will pop-up in Piccadilly and Fitzrovia locations during the festival. They will also help create Bottle Festoon, installations of shimmering chandeliers made from recycled plastic bottles as well as.
Bottle Festoon will also be supported in Croydon, by The Croydon Partnership, as part of a one-day light festival taking place on Thornton Heath following Lumiere London at the end of January. The Thornton Heath light festival will also give Londoners a further opportunity to see a version of Leicester Square’s extraordinary Nightlife commission, created by Jo Pocock and the Lantern Company for Leicester Square Gardens, which celebrates the wonders of the natural world, creating a wild space in the heart of the city. Lanterns from this work will transfer to the Thornton Heath light festival, supported by London Borough of Croydon.
