Essen light festival break record with 500.000 attending
ESSEN, GERMANY
DATE. 8.10.2024
LENGTH: 4:13
PRODUCER: ANDERS KONGSHAUG +45 23103058
SOURCE: KONGSHAUG PRODUCTION & ESSEN
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STORY
Essen Light Festival in Germany Breaks Record with Over 500,000 Visitors.
The Essen Light Festival, now in its 9th year, has become one of the most attended light festivals in Europe, drawing over 500,000 visitors this year. It is the second-largest light festival in Germany, after Berlin, and ranks alongside major European festivals like Copenhagen Light Festival. The event features large-scale installations that transform the cityscape, fostering creativity and innovation.
Essen, a city founded in 1160, was once a major hub for steel and coal production in the Ruhr region. Although much of the city was destroyed during World War II, it was designated European Capital of Culture in 2010, representing the Ruhr region’s cultural renaissance.
The festival’s 2 km route through the city showcases 16 major light installations, which take about 2.5 hours to explore in full. One of the smaller works, but with a big messages is “Touch the Star” by North Macedonian artist Boris Petrovski, invites visitors to reach for stars in a symbolic gesture of aspiration, as they touch the lamp it change to bright happy colours.
Petrovski says, “Every person can reach their own star; they just need to go for it.”
The iconic Essen Cathedral, rebuilt after WWII, hosts one of the festival’s highlights—*Salvator Mundi* (“Savior of the World”), an elaborate light and laser installation by artist group SilentMOD. It features 1,000 mirror tiles that reflect light from lasers and colored lights, creating a mesmerizing effect. The installation also serves as a space for reflection and takes on a new dimension as church counselors are available throughout the festival, and they report being kept busy engaging with visitors. Bernd Wolharn, Vicar of the Essen Cathedral, reflects, “In these fragile times, the mirrors symbolize the world we live in.”
The Essen Cathedral treasury houses several remarkable artifacts, including the Golden Madonna, dated around 980 AD, which is the oldest known sculpted Madonna in the world.
Among the festival’s interactive elements is the “Mega Wiki,” a large yellow ball on Willy-Brandt-Platz, where visitors can leave personal messages. Created by Slovak artist Viktor Frešo, the installation is inspired by the Japanese Kokeshi doll.
Another standout is *OCULUCIS*, by Italian artist H:E:M, featuring two enormous eyes gazing toward the sky in front of the historic Theatre Grillo from 1892. These eyes represent the boundary between the known and unknown, tying into the themes explored in the theatre’s performances.
Visitors praise the festival’s visual appeal and the opportunity to engage with the artworks. Sahdia Schieren, a guest, remarked, “It’s an amazing festival. There are great artworks all around the city, and it’s very Instagrammable. I love it.”
Festival Director Richard Röhrhoff attributes the festival’s success to its interactive nature. “People love it because they can participate in the installations and see the city center in a completely different light.”
Other installations, such as “Light Connector” by Portuguese artist duo Ocubo, encourage interaction as movement influences the changing lights.
Margareta Hesse’s “Light and Blessing”, set up in the Marktkirche, allows visitors to physically break through laser lights, a symbolic gesture of breaking through turbulence in challenging times.
The festival also highlights international artistry, including a large projection by Ukrainian artists ‘Kurbas Pro’ on the Koda building, incorporating traditional Ukrainian designs such as paper-cutting and carpet weaving
Dr. Stephan Muschick, representing festival sponsor E.ON, emphasized the event’s significance: “This great festival connects the energy of light with high artistic ambition.”
On Kennedyplatz is this year’s festival centerpiece, “The Big Picture,” where visitors stroll through captivating projections displayed on the buildings and the ground of the square. Crafted by Berlin artist Daniel Margraf, these projections feature works from the renowned Museum Folkwang, one of the world’s most prestigious art galleries in Essen. The square transforms into a dynamic canvas, blending art and architecture.
“Yeah, it feels like I am part of the art world,” says guest Pierre Leger. “Please, just take a look at it. So amazing. I love it.”
The Essen Light Festival continues until October 13 and is held annually.
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SHOTLIST
- PAN ACROSS TOWN SQUARE WITH GRAPHICS PROJECTED EVERYWHERE
“Big Picture” on Kennedyplatz by Berlin artist Daniel Margraf works of art from the Museum Folkwang. - CHURCH FILLED WITH MIRRORS AND GUESTS FILMING
“Salvator Mundi” (“Savior of the World”) by the artist group SilentMOD from Münster inside Essen Cathedral.
1,000 mirror tiles floating in the room reflecting the light from the lasers and coloured lights - MADONNA WITH MIRRORS REFLECTING LIGHT
“Salvator Mundi” by the artist group SilentMOD from Münster inside Essen Cathedral.
The Golden Madonna, dated at around 980 BC, which is the oldest sculpted Madonna in the world. - BUILDING WITH PROJECTION ON
Coda on Willy-Brandt-Platz square, Mapping projection by Kurbas Pro, Ukraine
Ukranian is authentic ornaments, paper cutting, carpet weaving and other. - PORTAL WITH GRAPHICS -‘”Gate of Worlds”
‘”Gate of Worlds” on Weberplatz by Radu Ignat, Romania
A projection that takes visitors into various imaginary worlds of science, science fiction, Art Nouveau and climate change. - CLOSE-UP OF PORTAL WITH GRAPHICS – ‘”Gate of Worlds”
‘”Gate of Worlds” on Weberplatz by Radu Ignat, Romania - HUGE DISCOBALL IN SANDBOX
“Mirror Mirror on the Ball” by Dennis Nolda and Richard Röhrhoff, from Essen, Germany on Burgplatz.
Childrens playground. A giant mirror ball, setting everything around it in a completely new light. - PEOPLE LOOKING AT MULTICOLORED STAR
“Touch the Star” on Salzmarkt by Boris Petrovski, Artist, North Macedonia
Touch the installation, it changes from anticipation to happiness. - ARTIST AT COMPUTER WITH STAR IN BACKGROUND
“Touch the Star” on Salzmarkt by Boris Petrovski, Artist, North Macedonia - SOUNDBITE Boris Petrovski, Artist „touch the star”
“Every person can reach his own star, so they don’t need to hesitate or something similar. They just can go and reach for the star so his star can be anything” - CLOSE UP OF PERSON TOUCHING THE STAR
“Touch the Star” on Salzmarkt by Boris Petrovski, Artist, North Macedonia - INSIDE ESSEN CATHEDRAL WITH MIRRORS
- CLOSE UP OF MIRRORS
- SOUNDBITE, Bernd Wolharn, Vicar Cathedral of Essen
“With the times, that we are living, everything is very fragile. So these mirrors are maybe a symbol for the world that we live, in right now.” - ROOF OF CHURCH WITH HANGING MIRRORS
“Salvator Mundi” by the artist group SilentMOD from Münster, Germany inside Essen Cathedral. - DISCO BALL OUTSIDE CHURCH
“Mirror Mirror on the Ball” - TAKING A PHOTO OF PEOPLE IN FRONT OF HUGE YELLOW BALL
“Mega Wiki” on Willy-Brandt-Platz square made by Slovakian artists Viktor Frešo.
Visitors can write messages on the ball to the world. - PERSON WRITING “Liebe” ON IT
- PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS TWO BIG EYES
“OCULUCIS” by H:E:M, Italy on Theaterplatz
The eyes reflects are the boundary between the known and the unknown - CLOSE UP OF THE EYES
- SOUNDBITE, Sahdia Schieren, Guest:
“It’s an amazing festival. There are great artworks all around the city and it’s very, very Instagrammable. So you can take pictures everywhere with all of my friends. So I love them.” - PEOPLE TAKING SELFIE
- SOUNDBITE, Richard Röhrhoff, Director of Essen Light Festival
“I think the people love it because they can participate with the installations. They have big installations and they have another view to a city center because it’s completely different in the light.”
- PEOPLE STEPPING ON LIGHT IN INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION
“Light Connector “on Burgplatz| interactive Projection by artists Ocubo, Portugal
Light change with peoples movements – old and young. - PEOPLE PLAYING IN INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION
- PEOPLE TOUCHING RED LASERS
“Light and Blessing” by Margareta Hesse, Berlin, Germany. In the Marktkirche
Vistor is active and not passive, which is the right thing to do in turbulent times. - SOUNDBITE, Boris Petrovski, Artist „touch the star“
“All of us are quite bored, just walking on the streets and every day is the same, every night is the same. So in this, let’s say two weeks in Essen, people will, I’m I’m super sure that we will, have a magical experience.” - BUILDING WITH BIG PROJECTION ON IT
Coda on Willy-Brandt-Platz square, Mapping projection by Kurbas Pro, Ukraine - CHURCH WITH LIGHTS AND SMOKE
“Salvator Mundi” by the artist group SilentMOD from Münster inside Essen Cathedral. - DISCOBALL IN SANDBOX
“Mirror Mirror on the Ball” by Dennis Nolda and Richard Röhrhoff, from Essen, Germany on Burgplatz. - SOUNDBITE, Dr. Stephan Muschick, Head of Corporate Citizenship at the main sponsor, E.ON:
“This great festival, is, connecting this energy of light with high art ambition. So ambition and art”
- PEOPLE WALKING AROUND IN SQUARE WITH PROJECTIONS
“Big Picture” on Kennedyplatz by Berlin artist Daniel Margraf works of art from the Museum Folkwang. - SOUNDBITE, Pierre Leger, Guest
“Yeah, it feels like I am part of the art world. Please, just take a look at it. So amazing. I love it.” - PEOPLE WALKING AROUND IN SQUARE WITH PROJECTIONS
“Big Picture” on Kennedyplatz by Berlin artist Daniel Margraf works of art from the Museum Folkwang. - TOTAL OF SQUARE WITH PROJECTIONS
“Big Picture” on Kennedyplatz by Berlin artist Daniel Margraf works of art from the Museum Folkwang.
END