Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2019
15th January 2019
Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2019 was the fifth iteration of the Light Festival that features sculptures, structures and installations by some of the most innovative artists and designers around the world, using a wide range of different forms of light technology.
This year’s theme is sustainability and waste reduction, many of the pieces displayed have been crafted using recycled and sustainable materials. Others also portray strong messages about recycling and climate change.
Featured Art and Artists:
Prismatica by RAW Design in collaboration with ATOMIC3, Jubilee Plaza
Prismatica turns heads with the countless colourful reflections made by its giant prisms. Visitors can walk amongst them to see city life in every colour of the spectrum and spin the prisms to make them dance.
Two Hearts by Stuart Langley, projection in Newfoundland Place
As the structure of this iconic residential skyscraper grows, lower level windows flicker and shine with light to momentarily form two illuminated and transient hearts, symbolic of the life and energy the building is poised to support.
Whale Ghost by Pitaya, Cubitt Steps
This monumentally-scaled kinetic sculpture echoes the marine mammal and fossil skeletons seen in natural history museums. Whale Ghost invites the visitor to spend a moment thinking about the impact of mankind on our biodiversity.
Sasha Trees by Adam Decolight, Westferry Circus
Westferry Circus becomes a magical winterscape as we illuminate this beautiful location with glowing fir trees. The striking neon colours of the trees create a fantastic contrast with natural foliage surrounding them.
Colour Moves by Rombout Frieling Lab, Adams Plaza Bridge
Colour does not exist. Colour is in the mind. It is the result of complex processes of adjustment and comparison. Colour Moves is an immersive installation of pigments that react with specific wavelengths of light.
Flow by Squidsoup, Jubilee Park
Flow is a series of explorations using dynamically controlled points of light to visualise the flow of energy, data and objects. The piece is inspired by the myriad of cultural references to energy and flow patterns, from Aboriginal dreamtime paintings to Japanese wave and ripple designs.
Enchanted Connections by Tine Bech Studio, Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Level 1
Enchanted Connections invites visitors to the Crossrail Place Roof Garden to interact with light and each other in an imaginative way.
Blue Neuron by Zac Greening, Columbus Courtyard
Blue Neuron is a beautiful kinetic light installation built from reworked heat-treated plastic bottles. Zac’s inspiration comes principally from nature. Working in a wide range of media, from discarded plastic bottles to laser projections, his works often comment on issues such as sustainability, environmental degradation and consumption.
Time & Tide By Paul & Pute, Columbus Courtyard
Time & Tide, with its hourglass design and colours inspired by nature, aims to remind us of the urgency of halting the plastic pollution of our oceans. Its form tells us that time is running out to repair this problem before the damage to our planet is irreversible.
Recyclism by Oskar Krajewski /Art of OK, Crossrail Place
Artist Oskar Krajewski is working towards a new chapter in art history – Recyclism. Recyclism is a platform for artists and like-minded people who care about our global environment. Oskar’s sculptures are made almost entirely of recycled materials such as unwanted toys, obsolete electronics, plastic packaging or any everyday use objects.
Floating Islands by Mürüde Mehmet, Jubilee Park
Community artist Mürüde Mehmet will be working with local children in Tower Hamlets to construct colourful organic floating forms made from recycled bottles. The creations will be displayed on the running water streams at Canary Wharf, encouraging awareness of how much waste is created by single use plastic water bottles.
Submergence by Squidsoup, Montgomery Square
Submergence is a large, immersive, walkthrough light experience. This is the largest version ever shown, comprising of some 24,000 individual points of suspended light, that transforms the space into a hybrid environment where virtual and physical worlds coincide.
