President Brixen Tourism Association
The Water Light Festival is a great challenge for Brixen and the surrounding area and it brings us organizationally and financially to the limits.
We learned a lot from last years’ first edition, and this year we set a qualitative growth. To forego the income of a main show was a brave, but correct decision.
There are no fixed times; The course with all light installations is free and freely accessible.
I am proud that almost 80 companies from Brixen and the surrounding area are sponsoring us and helping us so much. This is a sign of appreciation of our work and the quality and importance of the event. I would like to take this opportunity to thank for all the financial contributions of the municipality of Brixen and the various regional offices, which have recognized the importance of the Water Light Festival for locals and guests.
The International Day of Light proclaimed by UNESCO has the main goal to raise awareness of the importance of light. We are part of it and proudly carry the title.
My final praise goes to all the artists, to the project management and the whole team of the Brixen Tourism Association, to the employees of the Stadtwerke Brixen and the City’s Public Works Department as well as the city gardeners and all those who have contributed to the success of the Water Light Festival.
Mayor Brixen
The Water Light Festival goes into the second round, and after last year’s great popularity, we are looking forward to the second edition of the festival with joy and excitement.
This year, too, the event scores with creativity, a wide variety of artistic ideas and a great supporting program that involves international and local artists and cultural professionals.
These will reinterpret both, known and hidden treasures of our city and literally illuminate them in a special light.
Not for nothing the festival is part of the UNESCO World cultural heritage network, which celebrates the Day of Light on May 16. An award that fills us with joy and involves incentive and responsibility too. Water and light are symbols of life and expression of the power of nature. The Water Light Festival makes an important contribution in raising awareness in Brixen, the Alpine city of the year 2018: It raises awareness of the value and importance of our natural resources, and it helps to broaden views to the precious heritage that surrounds us but too often remains closed to our perception in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
I want to say thank you to the organizers and to the many partners and supporters behind this second edition of the Water Light Festival. Wishing the event much encouragement, I invite all locals as well as guests to be enchanted and inspired anew by elements of water and light.
Despite the daily contact with water, we seldom deliberately worry about the meaning of this most important resource on earth. Today, many of the formerly visible inner-city waterways which run underground, have escaped our perception.
In Brixen, besides the rivers Eisack and Rienz, the many fountains emphasize the importance of water in the old town.
Through the light and art installations and performances of the Water Light Festival, Brixen’s historic center will once again be artistically staged.
We will look forward to 27 installations realized by 14 artists from eight different nations - this sets new accents and creates encounters.
I want to say thank you to the organizers of the Brixen Tourism Association.
This initiative shows once again that it is possible to realize great things with courage, passion and commitment.
I wish all the visitors of the Water Light Festival moments of wonder and enthusiasm.
direction
The Water Light Festival is celebrating its second edition. The idea to recharge water places with light and to light up the historical old town of Brixen was accepted with great enthusiasm last year.
From this we drew the strength and the courage to rewrite the concept and to unify the Water Light Festival. The center of the event is now the course, connected through a blue line, leading through Brixen’s streets and squares, with a total of 27 light and art installations. The artistic direction paid attention to an international, colorful mix, to different approaches and special lighting technology. Sometimes with depth, sometimes dreamy and atmospheric, romantic, yet amusing. An alternation of feelings and moods, the visitors should take home their impression and lead, our intention, to come back.
Light and art need time. This is what we want to give to the visitors this year!
10th – 26th May 2018
The Water Light Festival celebrates this year its second edition and takes place from 10th to 26th May 2018 in Brixen Südtirol.
14 artists from all over the world are reinterpreting the cultural treasures and water sites of Brixen through 27 light art installations.
Water as Life and Light as Art – This, at first glance insignificant connection, creates unique moments of light and life during the Water Light Festival.
Every day from 9 pm till 12 pm in Brixen Südtirol.
Following an announcement by UNESCO, the first „International Day of Light“ is set to take place on the 16th May. The date of this new annual event coincides with the 16th May 1960 when the American physicist, Theodore Maiman, unveiled the world’s first fully functioning laser device.
Used in science, industry communications and art, the laser technology is the focus of a series of international events intended to raise public awareness of the importance of light in a wide spectrum of applications.
The Water Light Festival is part of a coordinated global series of events. www.lightday.org
In the beginning, there was water. From it all life on earth developed. And the essence of us humans today is still water: A large part of our bodies is water. Human, animal or plant: Without the chemical compound of an oxygen atom with two hydrogen atoms (H₂O), the earth could not exist in its present form. The importance of this element will be emphasised at the Water Light Festival in Brixen with the help of light art. Light always is interactive: it creates colours, casts shadows, invokes moods and creates spaces.
Lighting installations and performances at the city’s water sources draw attention to the precious resource of water and open up new perspectives. Water worlds and light art - a luminous connection that invites you to marvel, dream, participate and reflect.
Small reassuring object of everyday, the torch is a must-have everyone stores in a drawer. Who hasn’t gone exploring a dark corner of the house or in the nature under the light of a torch?
“The Pocket” is a reproduction of the old French torches, an object with an old-fashioned charm and vintage colours.
Water and light are intimately linked and without them there couldn’t be life. For this reason, we invite you to follow our luminous water playground under the look of little ducks to the final gushing.
After a year of care of Brixen’s secret gardens, our garden has reappeared. The plants have grown, the nature has taken back its rights and blooms to the rhythm of the breathings of the “diamond of life”.
Projected by powerful overhead projectors, water trickles, which walk along the walls of the St. Erhard Church and the “Traubenwirt”, meet, cross, connect and disappear again. This is the center of this installation. “Timeless raindrops” can be found around the trickles, signs and drawings, like stones in a riverbed.
TRANSLUCENT gives the historic Bishop’s Palace moat a mystical and poetic character.
Light penetrates the surface of the water and unimaginable dream worlds appear. The animation plays with the depth effect of light beams, plasma clouds and glowing underwater creatures in the water.
When the invisible becomes visible, a chilling and desolate landscape presents itself. This cold reality is spreading before us. In contrast to what, unfortunately, this brave penguin experiences, we can avoid being the victims of our own actions…
Without water no blossoming life: It makes nature grow and thrive. Taking care of your garden, watering it, is a rewarding experience. The water has this magic, allowing to cultivate its interior garden.
‘Flow’ is a series of explorations using dynamically controlled points of light within physical space to visualise the flow of energy, real and imagined, as suggested by the landscape itself. It is an attempt to represent the elemental feel and energy of a space, inspired by its topography and features, dynamically altering and accentuating facets of the landscape in the process.
What is this little girl doing on the other side of the bridge? Thanks to the river’s water, she blows bubbles of dreams to infinity. Look at them and make a wish, they will bring you luck.
Whether in the form of steam, liquid or ice, discover the water in all its states. H2O is its name. From science to poetry, often there is just one little step. Dare the trip into a molecular world.
The incredible result of the marriage of water and light: the rainbow. A legend says that at the foot of each rainbow you can find a treasure. You still need to find out how to look for it...
Does the sound of music at the opera not resemble the flowing of water? Look and listen to this fountain, it is symphonic.
Installation for thirsty people “Say please, then you’ll get what you want...” While we are delighted by public fountains with drinking water, the corporate headquarters are currently negotiating the human right of “access to water”. Who decides?
Water is sacred ever since. It is both, life and the reflection of it.
Let yourself be lulled by the billions of flashes of light from these special snowmen. This glass will eventually warm you up.
This creation is inspired by the world-renowned architect lamp. TILT’s oversized version gives this lamp the opportunity to conquer new spaces and illuminate public urban or natural spaces with its warm coloured beam.
The concept is centred on the importance of the natural resource of water that should not be wasted, nor taken for granted. Water is not only for those who use it but for those who live in it.
It all starts with a heartbeat. Nothing really prepares us for a real love at first sight. It is time to know how to turn the crank at the right time.
Water can also be a difficult obstacle to cross to discover the world. You will need a lot of wind to defeat the ocean.
Drawing and painting competition for primary and secondary schools of Brixen
I EXPERIENCE WATER IN ALL OF ITS ELEMENTS IN BRIXEN!
While swimming, skiing, ice-skating, drinking, tooth brushing, having a shower and everywhere it flows, freezes and steams…
Whether it be a fountain or a river, a drop or vapour: water in all its forms surrounds us all the time. It is there, sometimes hidden or undiscovered – to splash, play, drink, live. The pupils of the primary and secondary schools of Brixen have gone on a quest tour. They have recorded their discoveries in drawings and pictures.
This light projection shows the top 100 pictures.
The installation FONTANA ROSSA was created on the occasion of the 2nd Water Light Festival in Brixen Südtirol / Italy and adorns the fountain on the square in front of the Hotel Elephant. Fifty red hydraulic hoses, three to five meters long, curved in the form of fountains of different heights, spring from the seven-cornered centre of the multi-level fountain.
From one third of the red hoses, water flows steadily into the deeper wells of the fountain.
Two thirds of the red hoses are provided with LEDs at the ends and immerse the water feature in the dark in light.
The hoses of the FONTANA ROSSA appear red in colour like veins of blood coming from the depths of the fountain.
When looking at the object FONTANA ROSSA an association chain of water - life - body - blood arises.
Julia Bornefeld
2018, measures approx. 350 x 350 x 350 cm hydraulic hose, steel, LED, water
Courtesy: Gallery Antonella Cattani Contemporary Art, Bozen
a family affair since 1877
Bang Bike is the magic carpet of our imaginary world of our childhood that takes us to new exciting worlds of animated films. This bicycle allows the projection of moving animated images.
The streets we walk on and the walls that surround us become real life canvases, ready to welcome all the magic of a creative and inspiring world. Both children and adults follow its images and music, which contributes to a magical moment.
As part of the interdisciplinary course, the students realized a project about “water and light”.
The classes 3A and 3B got to know the light projects of the artist group Bang Bike. These works were used as an inspiration and represented the starting point for their own animations.
The storyboard captured the idea, material and plot. The students chose the right location and equipment creating then the animation on the computer. Finally, the results were presented and awarded at the school.
The school of Graphics and Communication in Brixen (TFO) will bring to life the lanes of Brixen at this’s year’s Water Light Festival, through their animations concerning the topic “water and light”, together with Ulisses Dias and Jota Aracê.
The flowers are one of the most beautiful achievements of the association of water and light. These three specimen are the proof for that.
“Why wander off into the distance, when the good is so close ...”. This old and wise quote also applies to drinking water. The public water, which is the most often controlled for its purity comes, almost for free, directly into the house. The project acqua_0km_wasser wants to spur us to think about the values of drinking water and to act accordingly.
Despite its presence in the natural state everywhere on our planet, one day it may be necessary for the human beings to know how to produce water in large quantities. Here is a curious prototype. Follow all the steps and let surprise yourself.
It’s raining. A spring emerges from the ground, water splashes and rises. A fountain is built. The interplay of different fountains and its benefits begins - fetching water, drinking water, washing clothes, festively decorating, children splashing water, ...
Interview with the artist
“Light art offers the opportunity to create everything over and over again”
Light artist Claudia Reh talks about the atmosphere at the Water Light Festival, what fascinates her about the art of light and why there is no part of her artistic contribution that is the same as it was yesterday ...
Mrs Reh, you participated in the first edition of the Water Light Festival in Brixen in 2017. How did the atmosphere feel to you?
I think Brixen is very well suited for such a festival! In the winding old town, there are new architectural situations on every corner, each of which can be a new setting for a light installation. The many small squares offer thematically different possibilities, so that there is room for different artistic ideas, which do not necessarily have to relate to each other and do not get in each other’s way. The mouth-to-mouth advertising last year increased the number of visitors every evening: It’s a great feeling when a new festival gets its first accolade in this way! I would like this open, experimental atmosphere to be maintained, opening up to the different directions of art. It leaves more room for the risk of working with light and thus surprises the visitor more than a festival solely designed for the entertainment of a mass audience.
You yourself work analogously in your installations, with overhead projectors and “manual work”. What attracts you to this technique?
I am attracted by the unforeseen, which is not planned in detail. Of course there needs to be an idea, a conception, a choreography. But the form in which individual pictures and picture elements are arranged inside it, is decided on-site and can change at any time without being planned beforehand. Like any other man-made work, the drawing is individual, personal, imperfect, and the “handwriting” a little different every day. The analogue technique is “transparent”. The projection of water, for example, is visible immediately, not converted several times through codes, and creates a surprising image effect that could not be calculated beforehand. When overlapping multiple projector images, the possibilities to vary the projection are endless.
How do the image aesthetics and language differ from digital projection?
The digital projection consists of pixels. Although these are now so small that they are not perceptible to the eye - and yet there are still small squares that underlie the projection. The overhead image, on the other hand, is a magnification generated by lenses, without pixel conversion, and thus without the loss of image information such as colour, colour depth, or sharpness. In addition, each projector is different, has blurring at the edges or is brighter than the other. This adds more unknown details to the picture. And of course, it does not have the permanent image change as video mapping.
What fascinates you personally about the art of light?
Light art is performative. When the light is turned off, it is gone. All that remains is what the brain has noticed. Light art offers the opportunity to create everything over and over again. So the world is not full of finished artworks.
Development is possible, the continuation of existing ideas and the visualisation of new thoughts takes place without permanently occupying a place.
Which artistic contribution have you made for visitors to enjoy this year?
The new project is called “Aus der Mitte entspringt ein Fluss” and is located at the Protestant church of Saint Erhard and the square around the “Traubenwirt” with its small fountain. The artistic medium for this installation is the flow itself: projected water gullies that wander, cross, connect and disappear again along the walls of the church. One source is the fountain from which the water flows to the surrounding walls. “Timeless raindrops” can be found around the gullies, signs and drawings, like stones in a riverbed. There are also words there, some incomprehensible - but you can rearrange them, and then they may make sense. The drawings and words are also projected and change day by day. In some areas they can also be changed, moved and reassembled by the audience. That’s how the flowing water changes the image every day, and nothing stays the same as yesterday...
Photo: Claudia Reh
Photo: Claudia Reh
Exhibition of unibz - Faculty of Design and Art, at the Adler Art Gallery
The items on display were created during the winter term 2017- 2018 by students for product design at the Faculty for Design and Art at the Free University of Bolzano. The project group was led by Francesco Faccin (industrial designer), Seçil Ugur Yavuz (designer/researcher) and Roberta Raffaeta’ (anthropologist).
Water is the essential element of life. Nevertheless, we use it as an infinite and renewable resource.
During this course we looked for new ways, to design objects, but above all to take and generate awareness around the many problems related to water: from pollution to global warming, from the importance of tap water to water as a mean to create objects.
Mo - Fr: 3 - 7 pm
Sa: 10 am - 8 pm
Su: 4 - 8 pm
Brixen lights up with Murten
The Swiss small town of Murten (French: Morat) is located north of Freiburg on the shores of Lake Murten. Like Brixen, Murten also has a medieval Old Town and is deemed the cultural centre of the region. In January 2016, Murten was shining in the reflection of the first Murten Light Festival, where artists stage the town with animations of lights. Now, a light arch also stretches between Brixen and the Swiss small town: As part of a cooperation project, the Murten film and video maker Adrian Scherzinger will make his light installation glow at the Brixen Cathedral Square: The Wishing Lantern, symbol of the Murten Light Festival tells a story associated with Brixen - that of a hidden fountain. The mutual exchange of art features will be connecting both light festivals beyond the borders for years to come.
Murten Light Festival
16th - 27th January 2019
www.murtenlichtfestival.ch
10th-26th May
Exhibition
“Progettare L’Acqua” unibz - Faculty of Design and Art
14th-26th May
Exhibition
Drinking Water Sculpture
University of InnsbruckFaculty of Architecture
16 th May
Location: Gallery Adler Art
Mo-Fr: 3 - 7 pm
Sa: 10 am - 8 pm
Su: 4 - 8 pm
Location: Brixen
Tourism Association
Mo-Fr: 8.30 - 12.30 am & 2 - 6 pm, Sa: 9 - 12.30 am
21 st May
International Day of Light spectaculum
Concert and dinner
MGV and HGV Brixen
International Day of Light
16 May
Location: Hofburg Brixen
6.30 pm dinner
9 pm concert
Klanglichter Concert
Music school Brixen
Location: Hofburg Brixen
9 pm
www.demaclenko.com
Take your time for these signs. Only through the support of these partners it is possible to realize this unique festival.
Green Events are planned, organized and realized according to criteria of sustainability. The essential factors are efficiency of resources, waste management, regional added value and social responsibility. In order to obtain the Going GreenEvent certification, we implemented a number of measures.
Brixen Tourismus Genossenschaft Bressanone Turismo Società Cooperativa
General management: Werner Zanotti
Project management: Astrid Früh
Artistic management: Astrid Früh & Werner Zanotti
Technical management: Tobias Oberhofer
Concept: Brixen Tourismus Gen.
Co-Partner art projects: Geschichtsverein Brixen
Text: Doris Brunner, Textsalon Vahrn; Astrid Früh, Brixen Tourism Association
Traduzione: Context, Meran
Graphics: Frei & Zeit, Brixen
Pictures: Spectaculaires, Brixen Tourism Association, Helmut Moling, Philipp Santifaller, Claudia Reh, Carim Jost, Tilt, Adrian Scherzinger, Squidsoup, Fruits of Change, Luce Dipinta, Witcher Rüdiger & Stefano Peluso, Light4
Print: Druckerei Weger, Brixen
The Brixen Tourismus Genossenschaft thanks all the partners and supporters and everyone who has believed in the project from the beginning.
A drop of Plose water can spend many years in the darkness between the rocks, purifying itself, before exiting. Then one day, all the sudden, it becomes light.
