The party is getting ready. In a month, Lyon will sparkle again with a thousand lights. This year, the Festival of Lights kicks off on December 8. Two million visitors are expected during four days of celebration marked under the sign of “sobriety” and “not austerity”, as the town hall reminds us.
For this new edition, make way for “renewal”. Many artists “emblematic of contemporary creation” in the field of light will come for the first time to present their works in Lyon. A short tour of the activities offered.
The Tête d’Or park, star of the 2022 edition
Four projects will be installed in the alleys of the green lung of Lyon, often acclaimed by visitors for its tranquility. “An entire evening can be devoted to it”, promise the organizers. But this year, no projections on the waters of the lake. The route will begin with “Agorythm”, a work composed of red laser beams crisscrossing horizontally to “halo the darkness with a bloody glow”. Behind each line, data collected in real time that provides information on topics dear to ecologists: air and water quality, noise pollution or the density of bicycle traffic.
Further on, the trees in the park will be transformed into a “huge screen” 100 meters wide. In other words, geometric patterns will be projected there in reference to the golden ratio and in echo to the legend of the park which, supposedly, conceals a buried treasure containing a golden mask.
Throughout their stroll, visitors will be accompanied by hundreds of fireflies “rising above the ground” and “composing a hypnotic light scene”. Finally, “Urban Oracle”, a sculpture of twelve “light frames” which will offer a digital reinterpretation of oracles, ancient forms of divination, will be installed on the Achille Lignon aisle.
Saint-Jean Cathedral in the age of passing time
As we know, Saint-Jean Cathedral is often the barometer of each edition. And the artists invited to sublimate it have no room for error, otherwise they will incur the wrath of the Lyonnais. This year, the organizers have entrusted the keys to the show to Filip Roca and Zarko Komar. Both have planned to submit the majestic building to the “passing time”. Ultra high definition images will dance on the facades to the rhythm of contemporary sounds offered by a string quartet.
The hill of Fourvière or the conquest of space
From the apse of Saint-Jean Cathedral to the Palais de Justice, visitors will be able to follow the wanderings of an intrepid little space traveler, directly taken from a comic book by Jérôme Jouvray. The curious astronaut, with sometimes burlesque adventures, will meet on the way “a little furry companion” who will serve as his guide in spite of himself.
Les Terreaux, paintings in songs
“The Portrait of a Woman” by Michiel van Mierevelt who sings Britney Spears. The painting is surprising. Yet this is what the crazy work of the creators of Anookis will offer. Imagine what will happen to the facades of the Museum of Fine Arts. The portraits of the paintings presented within the establishment “will come out of the frame to put on a show”. Thanks to the “Deep Fake” process, which consists of giving life to frozen portraits, the faces come alive, the bodies move to wiggle their hips to the sounds of Claude François, Aretha Franklin or even Nino Ferrer. Karoke guaranteed!
Les Subsistances at the time of the ball
Musical atmosphere on the Subsistances side where “balls of light” will be offered. On the first two evenings, musicians and dancers will be able to pay tribute to the Sape competitions. You know ? The society of ambianceurs and elegant people. All “stuck tight” to music from the Congo. On December 10 and 11, the program will be entrusted to the students of the conservatory who will have the same mission: to make the public dance to wild choreographies and to the rhythm of their percussion.
And the rest ?
This year, Place Bellecour will host a light installation “I love light” made from 500 old floor lamps collected from residents and reconditioned with LEDs. Starlings will come to nest on the Place des Jacobins while a big kitten will take up residence on the Place de la Bourse. A few meters further on, in the Grôlée district, visitors will see a birdcage in which unusual creatures will be locked in turn: a flying fish, a chafouin elephant, a not very social cumulonimbus. Finally, Blandan Park will be reserved for children’s entertainment, like last year.