Lumiere London, the UK’s largest light festival, that is returning to the city from 18th to 21st January, has today announced its full programme, including several installations on the South Bank.
The newly revealed South Bank artworks are perfectly located for those already heading to Waterloo to see our Leake Street installation, who can now enjoy a full evening exploring the neighbourhood.
The Light on Their Feet: Footfalls for Rambert by David Ward (UK), Rambert Building:
Inspired by one of Edgar Degas’ sculptures of a dancer, Artist David Ward has photographed the soles of the feet of each of Rambert’s company of international dancers for this artwork on the South Bank. The photographs form the basis of a series of images that fade slowly into visibility and then out as they ‘dance’ across Rambert’s RIBA-award winning building.
The Wave by Vertigo (Denmark), Queen Elizabeth Walkway:
Consisting of forty triangular and glowing sound gates standing over three metres tall and creating a path of over 80 metres long, The Wave will become a beacon of light along South Bank. Audiences will co-create the experience as the gates respond to movements both sonically and visually, constantly changing across four nights. Sponsored by Canon.
Thames Pulse by Jason Bruges (UK), Mondrian Hotel : Thames Pulse reflects the river’s health, in real time, on the iconic Sea Containers building on the South Bank. The lighting project was devised the to help raise awareness about the condition of the Thames and to support Thames21 in its mission to protect it and other London rivers. Jason Bruges Studio was enlisted to create a dynamic artwork for the façade of the Mondrian Hotel that represents the water quality. Data from the Thames is read daily to monitor the condition of the river in central London and this will inform the visualisations displayed on the river-facing façade. Sponsored by Mondrian Hotel London.
Bough 1 by Simon Corder (UK), Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf: Vivid tubes of fluorescent light grow up the facade of Oxo Tower Wharf, climbing like ivy. Bough 1 is the first in a series of projects by Corder, with others installed in Mayfair as part of Lumiere London 2018 and in Glasgow. With additional support from Coin Street Community Builders.
Sixty Minute Spectrum (2017) by David Batchelor (UK), Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre: This colourful new commission transforms the newly restored Hayward Gallery roof into a chromatic clock. Flooded with dramatic colour, the gallery’s unique pyramid rooflights move gradually through the entire visible chromatic spectrum every 60 minutes. The work is part of Batchelor’s ongoing exploration of the intense, synthetic colour that characterises modern cities, and the ways in which we respond to colour in our advanced technological age. Celebrating and illuminating the iconic architecture of Hayward Gallery, this ambitious commission also provides a countdown to the reopening of the building later this month.
Raspberry Ripple by Tony Heaton (UK), Southbank Centre: Projected in pink neon and in playful typescript, Raspberry Ripple can be superficially read as a fun image. However, the work by sculptor and performance artist, Tony Heaton, renowned for weaving disability issues into his work, has hidden depths and may also be seen as subversive and political.
OSC-L by Ulf Langheinrich (Germany), National Theatre Flytower: Digital artist, Ulf Langheinrich will present OSC-L for Lumiere London 2018. The projected work will transform the National Theatre fly tower into a glowing monument that will stand out as a transcendent beacon along South Bank’s skyline. Designed to react with the brutalist design of Denys Lasdun’s building, OSC-L will both animate and liquify the appearance of the hard concrete shape of the National Theatre.
Eye Love London, Coca-Cola London Eye: The UK’s number one visitor attraction for over a decade, see this iconic structure light up the South Bank with a striking dynamic display, custom-designed for Lumiere London.
Nic Durston, CEO of South Bank BID said: “As London’s cultural heart, we are delighted to welcome Lumiere to South Bank, and we look forward to welcoming Londoners and other visitors to one of London’s most creative and dynamic neighbourhoods. South Bank’s existing and outstanding cultural and artistic offer will be supplemented and complemented by the work of a range of artists, commissioned for Lumiere 2018. The range of art is extraordinary, and we encourage all visitors to explore all of the installations, and to enjoy everything that South Bank has to offer.”
Ben Stephenson CEO of WeAreWaterloo said: “We are delighted to host some spectacular Lumiere installations in the South Bank and Waterloo, including Emma Allen’s work in Leake Street under Waterloo Station. The ever-changing street art in the tunnel provides the perfect backdrop for Emma’s stunning animated portraits, and is a great place to start or end your Lumiere journey.
Duko Frankhuizen, Development Manager at LCR said: “LCR is delighted to support Lumiere arriving south of the river for the first time, with Emma Allen’s inspirational work set to add another layer to Leake Street’s constantly evolving walls”
For more information on the event and the triptych of work by artist Emma Allen that we will be welcoming to Leake Street, see our previous blog post here