LIGHTRUN IN THE WINTER, COPENHAGEN LIGHT FESTIVAL

STORY

Copenhagen Light Festival is setting up more than 55 light installations and hosting 350.000 people making it one of the biggest lightfestivals in Europe.

The lightarts are not just set up in the city center, but all over the city, involving more areas in the city, including the international french artist Julien Menzel and his work Platonic, that was set in an creative old factory area.

Nearly 2000 runners pulled on light chains and got ready for a light run through the inner-city and along the harbor passing 21 of the 55 light works in this year’s Copenhagen Light Festival, which takes place during the dark winter.

A runner Michael Gug, who we followed, said before the 8 km /5 mile started: “To be running in Copenhagen with this, with all these artworks and lights all over here in cold February is just fantastic. And I can’t wait to see the art”.

The runners were decorated with a 4-meter long LED light chain becoming part of the art-installation under Copenhagen Light Festival organized with Danish Architect Center.

The start was relaxed, giving space to kids running the first 100 meters in front, before the runners took off on the route, through the more than 1000 year old capital of Denmark.

The run started in the old part of the city passing the work “Terra” by Irish/Danish Mani Nikdel, about truth and lies are hidden at the center of this endless hypercube. 

An old square had the lightwork “Our Beating Heart” by British Studio Vertigo. The idea is that it transforms the public space into a sense of unity and love in both a visual and social sense. 

Copenhagen is an old sailor city, so the runners passed many lightworks along the harbor, like “Waveland”, that symbolize a stormy sea and the threat of flooding.

The “Blue Earth” is also placed in the harbor and is made of waste-plastic, all in blue, like the sea.

The “Blue Earth” is made by artist Maj D and will be touring the world in the next few years.

The bicycle bridges in Copenhagen have also been decorated with lights like the “Water Walk” by Tokyo Blue from Denmark, about appriciating having dry feets in the middle sea.

The Copenhagen City Hall has this year been hosting the light work “White Beam”, that points out on 11 different landmarks, which symbolize their respective districts in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen has this year been selected by UNESCO as host for the WORLD ARCHITECTURE CAPITAL 2023. The global forum takes place every 3 years and was previously Rio de Janeiro.  The theme is  “Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind” in contemporary urban planning.

After the lightrun said Michael Gug, film director: “I thought the Copenhagen Light Festival run was an art piece in itself and to be part of this moving organism, going in and through all the streets and corners of Copenhagen was just quite an experience”

Also Dea Zeeberg, Dentist, had her kids starting the race, said: “It was very pretty and we were looking at it and everyone was stopping and we could take pictures. And it was very beautiful and it was very well planned all over so we could see all the different places.”

The aim of the World Architecture Capital 2023 is to show a way in which architecture and culture can respond to the challenges of our time, especially in the environmental field, but also the quality of social life in urban areas.

Head of the Board of Copenhagen Light Festival, Jesper Kongshaug, thinks the the art piece “Our Beating Heart” symbolize this for Copenhagen and says: 

“There’s a lot of love and a lot of people sharing this moment with lights and energy. And despite the weather and everything, people still come here, meet with friends and walk around. And all this city is streets and roofs are being filled up with people really enjoying this moment. So we are really thankful for this and also waiting for next year.”

Some of the works symbolizing more of this, like the 4 birds flying in the lights, are called the birds, Les Oiseaux, by French LUX and are a celebration of the citizens of the city. 

“Echo”, also by Julien Menzel from France, is about the mountain nymph Echo, who could only repeat words spoken to her by others. 

The “Waves” are reacting to the win, so the light changes with the win. A technical masterpiece by Danish Frederik D. Hougs og Claus Boysen.

Spanish Calidos set up  “Dreamcatcher” inspired by Indigenous peoples of North America. It was set up in an old area in Copenhagen.

The most biked bridge in the world called Knippelsbro is never seen underneath, so Mads Vegas, who always lights up the bridges during Copenhagen Light Festival, set up lamps in shifting colors under the bridge.

This year’s Copenhagen Light Festival took a chance spreading out the lightworks all over the city, instead of just entertaining in the city center. This gives the festival a new and more important role in the city atmosphere.

Copenhagen Light Festival and the light run by DAC (Danish Architectural Center) Architecture – Copenhagen Light Festival takes place every February, every year.

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