Brixen Water Light Festival focus on peace and environment
BRIXEN WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL FOCUS ON PEACE AND ENVIRONMENT
BRIXEN-BRESSANONE.
SOUTH TYROL. ITALY
MAY 4. 2023
LENGHT. 7.27
PRODUCER ANDERS KONGSHAUG WITH ALP VISION AND 99 TALES
SOURCE: BRIXEN CULTURE
VNR.TV
STORY
The only light festival in the Alps is the Brixen Water Light Festival, shows 47 big light installations about the environment and peace in the South Tyrol region in northern Italy.
Brixen is located where two rivers with meet Eisack and Rienz
Bright lights have been set up in the Brixen Cathedral, where monks gave christian shelter crossing the Alps via the Branner pass between South Germany and North Italy. The Bishop residence Hofburg has permitted to set up the french artist group Collectif Scale spectacular light installation Flux, that moves interactively with peoples movement in the courtyard.
In the Bishops private garden “Herrengarten ” has smoke and a huge laser artwork has been set up by Dutch light artist Edwin Van Der Heide. The light changes perception of the historic garden, which now is open to the public.
Where the two rivers meet has mysterious lights set up by Danish artist Mads Vegas: “The work is called “Misty Mystery”. So it’s about the aerial mystery, things happening in the sky that we don’t really know what is” explain the viking looking Danish artist Mads Vegas. “So it’s about, you know, the northern lights, and maybe it’s the Gods doing something, the thunder, the lightning, things like that.”. Mads Vegas made it with Italian musicians Anger.
The war in Ukraine has made the visiting international Ukranian artist Julia Shamsheieva, make a work about the beauty that is so fragile.
She gets very emotional being away from the war and in the peaceful Brixen and needs to express: “To live in another country after Ukraine. It feels like you live in a different world. It’s without explosions, without every day of these horrors.” explain Ukranian artist Julia Shamsheieva. “It’s like you feel like it’s a horror movie film. And you don’t truly understand that it’s happening. It’s happening in real life.”
“Endless Rebirth” is her big projection called, that left many standing in a trance. It is about how easy life can be disrupted and we humans irresponsibly violate this harmony of life. “My project is about an endless loop of life that it’s very fragile and we have to be responsible for our nature”, says Julia Shamsheieva.
Not only Julia Shamsheieva, but the Brixen Light Festival´s curator and director want to remind us about global warming and we should respect nature and life’s balance and flow.
He thinks the most important thing about the Brixen Water Light Festival is that the artist expresses the important subjects.
“The whole world is speaking about sustainability. The whole world is speaking about global warming. I think it’s very important that the artists have the voice, that the artist is speaking to” sas Werner Zanotti, Curator And Director Brixen Cultur. “Artists are expressing themselves via light installation. This is what the Water Light Festival wants to send out.”
The melting of the glaciers in the surrounding Dolomite mountains, that is a historic part of the Alps, is very important for the people living in Brixen and all of the South Tyrol region. On the library wall has the German art group Xenorama been commissioned to create “Strata”, that means layers formed over time through natural processes. Each layer of ice can provide information, like the library, that Xenorama tries to create hope for not will be lost:
“Even, even if there are thousands of negative aspects we see right now in our projection, we also have this idea about a positive aspect,” says Marcel Bückner, Artist and Media Engineer, Xenorama. “Everything that dissolves can grow again. And that’s maybe the one aspect we want to point out that we can still act and there’s still hope.”
Nature reefs are also represented in an animated underwater reef being filled with human garbage. It is called “Plastic Reef” and it is projected on the old city gate from the 12th century. by Andreas Siefert from Germany.
A colorful tree ”The Great Platanus” is an homage to theimportance of nature for all of us made by the French artists Spectaculaires.
The use of lights and energy on Earth is also the theme for international Italian artist Stefano Cagol, who has been communicating with NASA and ESA astronauts about how the Earth looks from the space-station during the nights.
“The point of view for the astronauts is very important because they really have a vision of the impact that we have on the planet,” says Stefano Cargo. “All these billions of lights that we are using are beautiful, but also the real view of all the energy we are using – maybe is a bit too much.” says Stefano Cagol.
The festival focuses their works around the city’s water fountains, celebrating the importance to the Dolomite mountain region.
23 year old visiting student Katharina Riedl thinks that “it’s really important to bring the message of sustainability through artists and through art to all the people here in South Tyrol, but also.. furthermore than South Tyrol”.
“Liquid Lights” are lights simulating interaction with water. The lightwork by Filip Roca from Spain invites people, as many other works on Brixen Water Light Festival, to immerse themselves in a tranquil atmosphere, enjoying our natural surroundings.
The same can be said about New York artist Christine Sciully, who has made mist, clouds and water out of countless textiles.
You can´t also not help starring in the water of Japanese artist Ken Matsubara´s Moon Bowl.
Small animated films are invisible projected under the water in small ceramic bowls making you stare in fascinated wonder.
This also goes for the projection Tentakulum in the ceiling of the old library for the monks, where the oldest book from 990 was found, which describes the church’s religious practices and beliefs, at that time. The projection shows microscopic animals made by 3 people Groth, Berndt and Seltman.
21 year old visiting Italian Patrick Da Rin feels the light art conveys nature and sustainability in a different way than other forms of media: “News speakers or television series talk about sustainability and environment, it touches people in one way. And I think art has a totally different effect on the human mind and also the eye.”
The immersing atmosphere was also expressed by visiting Colombian Camila Meija:
”I love some of the installations, you can immerse yourself with nature or just enjoy the sound and light produced by the different techniques that they use”, says the 24 year old colombian.
The Brixen Water Light Festival continues until May 21, which includes the UN Day of Light on May 16, which marks the first operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman.
Brixen and the South TyrolThe region was granted autonomy by the Italian government in 1972. The autonomy agreement granted to promote the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic identity of the 64% German-speaking population. The region was conquered by Italy after World War 1 and still belongs to Italy, which calls the peaceful city Bressanone.
END
SHOTLIST
- DRONE THE ALPS AROUND BRIXEN-BRESSANONE
- BLUE LAMP WITH MOUNTAIN IN THE BACK. PAN DOWN ON BRIDGE,
- DOMPLATZ – SIEGRUNAPPELT
- HOFBURG – COLLECTIVESCALE – FLUX
- HERRENGARTEN – LASERS BY EDWIN VAN DER HEIDE, HOLLAND
- CLOSE UP HERRENGARTEN – LASERS BY EDWIN VAN DER HEIDE, HOLLAND
- LIGHT ON WATER UNDER BRIDGE
WIDMANNBRÜCKE – MISTY MYSTERY, 2023 – MADS VEGAS - SOUNDBITE MADS VEGAS, ARTIST DENMARK:
“The work is called Misty Mystery. So it’s about the aerial mystery, things happening in the sky that we don’t really know what is. Or maybe we do, but back in the day we didn’t know what it was. So it’s about, you know, aurora borealis, the northern Lights, and maybe it’s the gods doing something, the thunder, the lightning, things like that.” - LIGHT ON WATER UNDER BRIDGE
- GREEN PLANT PROJECTION ON BUILDING. ENDLESS BY JULIA SHAMSHEIEVA, UKRAINIAN ARTIST
- SOUNDBITE JULIA SHAMSHEIEVA, ARTIST UKRAINE:
“To live in another country after Ukraine. It feels like you live in a different world. It’s without explosions, without every of these horrors. It’s like you feel like it’s a horror movie film. And you you don’t truly understand that it’s happened. It’s happened in real life.” - GREEN PLANT PROJECTION ON BUILDING. ENDLESS BY JULIA SHAMSHEIEVA
- SOUNDBITE JULIA SHAMSHEIEVA. ARTIST, UKRAINE CONT.:
“My project is about an endless loop of life that it’s very fragile and we have to be responsible for our nature.” - FILLING MOUNTAIN WATER IN BOTTLE NEAR ART IN PARK
- CLOSE UP OF SIGN “Brixen Water Light Festival”
- SOUNDBITE ORGANIZER WERNER ZANOTTI, CURATOR AND DIRECTOR BRIXEN CULTURE
“The whole world is speaking about sustainability. The whole world is speaking about global warming. I think it’s very important that the artists have the voice that the artist is speaking to. Artists are expressing themselves via light installation. This is what the Water Light Festival wants to send out.” - LIGHTWORK WITH PROJECTIONS OF GLETCHERS
STADTBIBLIOTHEK. STRATA BY XENORAMA - SOUNDBITE MARCEL BÜCKNER, ARTIST AND MEDIA ENGINEER, XENORAMA.
“Even even if there are thousands of negative aspects we see right now in our projection, we also have this idea about a positive aspect, which we show because we are showing the whole thing at the loop. So everything with dissolves can grow again. And that’s maybe the one aspect we want to point out that we can still act and there’s still hope.” - LIGHTWORK PROJECTION OF MELTING GLETCHER ON BRIXEN STADTBIBLIOTHEK.
STRATA BY XENORAMA - BUILDING WITH GLACIER PROJECTION. STRATA BY XENORAMA
- PROJECTION WITH ANIMATION OF CORAL REEF.
PLASTIC REEF BY ANDREAS SIEFERT ON SÄBENER TOR - DRONE OF TREE WITH LIGHT PROJECTED ON IT. THE GREAT PLATANUS.
BY BENOÎT QUÉRO, FRANCE - BUILDING WITH PROJECTION OF EARTH SEEN FROM SPACE
NOT TO LOSE THE STARS BY STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY - STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY
“The point of view for the astronauts is very important because they really have the vision of the impact that we have on the planet. You see, like all these billions of lights that we are using this beautiful, but also the real view of all the energy we are using maybe is a bit too much.” - BUILDING WITH PROJECTION OF EARTH SEEN FROM SPACE
NOT TO LOSE THE STARS BY STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY - FOUNTAIN WITH BLUE LED LIGHT.
DER JUNGBRUNNEN (THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH) BY PETRA POLLI , ITALY- - WOMEN TAKING PICTURES OF THE FOUNTAIN
- COLORED LIGHT HUNG IN THE MAIN STREET.
AMOURS EN CAGE BY PORTÉ PAR LE VENT - VOXPOP KATHARINA RIEDL, STUDENT, 23:
“I think it’s really important to bring the message of sustainability through artists and through art to all the people here in south Tyrol. But also, furthermore than South Tyrol” - PROJECTION ON CHURCH.
LIQUID LIGHTS BY FILIP ROCA, SPAIN - GIRL SITTING ON BENCH LOOKING AT PROJECTION ON CHURCH
LIQUID LIGHTS BY FILIP ROCA, SPAIN - GIRL SITTING ON FLOOR LOOKING AT FABRICS WITH LIGHT
GEBORGENHEIT BY CHRISTINE SCIULLI, USA (NEW YORK) - RED LED ROPE INSIDE OLD BUILDING
LAMENTABLE BY FRANÇOIS MORELLET, FRANCE - WOMAN WALKING TOWARDS LIGHTS IN OLD BUILDING
“Me We”
MUHAMMED ALI BY BENJAMIN BERGMAN, GERMANY - GIRL LOOKING AT CERAMIC BOWL ON THE FLOOR
MOON BOWL BY KEN MATSUBARA, JAPAN - PROJECTION INSIDE BOWL OF FOG MOVING
MOON BOWL BY KEN MATSUBARA, JAPAN - CLOSE UP OF PROJECTION INSIDE BOWL FAG MOVING.
MOON BOWL BY KEN MATSUBARA, JAPAN - GIRL LOOKING AT MASSIVE PROJECTION ON CEILING INSIDE OLD BUILDING
TENTAKULUM BY GROLL, BERNDT & SELTMANN - CLOSE UP OF PROJECTION ON CEILING
TENTAKULUM BY GROLL, BERNDT & SELTMANN - VOXPOP PATRICK DA RIN, VISITOR, ITALY, 21.
“Because maybe art reaches people in a different way. That’s if it just gets, I don’t know, news speakers or television series talk about sustainability and environment, it touches people in one way. And I think art has a totally different effect on the human mind and also the eye. And people will see it in a different way and think about it differently if it gets transmitted to art.” - COLORED LIGHT HUNG IN THE MAIN STREET.
AMOURS EN CAGE BY PORTÉ PAR LE VENT - VOXPOP CAMILLA MEIJA, VISITOR, COLOMBIA, 24
“I really like it. I love some of the installations, you can immerse yourself with nature or just enjoy the sound and light produced by the different techniques that they use” - PROJECTION ON BUILDING. ENDLESS BY JULIA SHAMSHEIEVA
- ART BY THE RIVER IN BRIXEN
RIVER GLOW BY ALI PALOMA & HARTWIG THALER, ITALY - DRONE OVER HOFBURG – FLUX BY COLLECTIF SCALE
- DRONE OF LASERS
HERRENGARTEN – LASER LSP BY EDWIN VAN DER HEIDE, NETHERLANDS
END
EXTRA SOUNDBITES IN ITALIAN AND GERMAN
-STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY
(NASA and ESA) AND XENORAMA (GLACIER).
Natural Italian I
LENGTH 1.41
SHOTLIST
Natural Italian IT
-STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY.
“Il punto di vista degli astronauti è fondamentale perché sono tra i pochi che hanno la visione sul pianeta e riescono a vedere l’impatto che abbiamo sul pianeta rispetto all’uso dell’energia e della luce”.
(TRANSLATION:
The astronauts’ point of view is crucial because they are among the few who have vision on the planet and can see the impact we have on the planet with respect to the use of energy and light.)
STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY CONT.:
Parlare di light pollution, di inquinamento luminoso in un festival di luce è molto importante, perché rappresenta la responsabilità anche degli artisti rispetto all’uso della luce e di usarlo in modo più simbiotico ed equilibrato rispetto alla natura.
(TRANSLATION:
Talking about light pollution in a light festival is very important, because it represents the responsibility also of artists with respect to the use of light and to use it in a more symbiotic and balanced way with respect to nature.)
STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY CONT.:
“Il punto di vista privilegiato degli astronauti è proprio il fatto di vedere l’impatto globale dell’umanità e rispetto all’uso della luce e della light pollution che è così estremo e con le nuove tecnologie è possibile migliorare questo equilibrio con la natura e lo spazio intorno a noi per riconquistare le stelle.
(TRANSLATION:
The astronauts’ privileged point of view is to see the global impact of mankind and with respect to the use of light and light pollution that is so extreme and with new technologies it is possible to improve this balance with nature and space around us in order to regain the stars
STEFANO CAGOL, ARTIST ITALY CONT.:
In un festival di luce è un momento speciale proprio per parlare di light pollution per una responsabilità degli artisti dell’uso della luce e di usarlo in un modo equilibrato e simbiotico, in un modo intelligente.
(TRANSLATION:
In a festival of light, it is a special moment precisely to talk about light pollution for a responsibility of artists to use light and to use it in a balanced and symbiotic way, in an intelligent way.)
GERMAN NATURAL
TIM HEINZE, SOUND ARTIST
– Length 1.01
GERMAN NATURAL
TIM HEINZE, SOUND ARTIST ,XENORAMA
“In dem Projekt geht es unter anderem darunter eine andere Perspektive auf die zyklischen Erlebnisse im Leben in der Natur zu ermöglichen. Auch mit dem Einfluss des Menschen, der unweigerlich geschieht, nur nicht ausschließlich Böses bedeuten muss, sondern auch wieder Gutes zeitigen kann.”
(TRANSLATION:
One of the aims of the project is to enable a different perspective on the cyclical experiences of life in nature. Also with the influence of humans, which inevitably happens, but does not have to mean exclusively evil, but can also bring good things again.)
TIM HEINZE, SOUND ARTIST, XENORAMA CONT.:
Also es geht unter anderem um hoffnungsvolle Perspektiven auf die Geschehnisse, auf die der Mensch unter anderem Einfluss nimmt
(TRANSLATION:
So it’s about, among other things, hopeful perspectives on the events that humans influence.)
MARCEL BÜCKNER, ARTIST, XENORAMA. ENGEENIER:
Das in all diesen kritischen Momenten, die wir zurzeit erleben auch Hoffnung sein kann, wenn wir uns besinnen, wenn wir es ermöglichen, dass Dinge, die vergehen auch wieder neu entstehen können
(TRANSLATION:
That in all these critical moments that we are currently experiencing, there can also be hope if we reflect, if we make it possible that things that are passing away can also arise again.)
TIM HEINZE, SOUND ARTIST, XENORAMA CONT.:
Es handelt sich gerade beim Thema Eis und Gletscher um sehr kontroverse Themen, die wenn man alle Meinungen mit ins Boot holt, sehr viel Hoffnung ausstrahlen können für eine gemeinsame Zukunft für den Menschen, sowie für die Natur selbst.
(TRANSLATION:
The subject of ice and glaciers is a very controversial subject, which, if all opinions are brought together, can radiate a great deal of hope for a common future for humans and for nature itself.)
Links:
Brixen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brixen
Brixen Light Festival:
https://www.brixen.org/waterlight/de/programm/brixen