Northern Finland is one of only a few places to catch the famous Northern Lights, which earns our vote as perhaps the best natural light show on Earth. If you can’t trek above the Arctic Circle to experience this mystical phenomenon, don’t fret. Just park yourself in Helsinki for a few days after the holidays when the city is set aglow by thirteen individual light installations that reveal a new side to some of the city’s most famous buildings and add a touch of warmth to winter.
Lux Helsinki – The Light is Loose is a mesmerizing city-wide exhibition running from January 4-8, with official performance hours for most installations from 4 to 10 pm with some continuing until sunrise. These works will be conveniently installed throughout the Finnish capital and can even be viewed in small portions while touring and shopping around town. Best of all, like the Aurora Borealis, this is a free show for both adults and kids to enjoy. If you’re interested in seeing all the installations at once, guided tours are offered also for free in Finnish, English, Swedish and Russian for those with around two hours to spare and willing to take on the estimated 3 kilometer route. Just make sure to register, pick up your ticket from Tourist information (located on Pohjoisesplanadi 19) and have at least one other person with you as the minimum number for a group is two people.
The Squire has raved before about Helsinki’s design DNA and if you have an eye for design yourself, you’ll love this. According to Artistic Director, Markku Uimonen, “Lux Helsinki presents light installations that go a step further than simply illuminating facades. The designers behind the works boast an impressive diversity, hailing from France, England, Hong Kong, Germany and Finland, of course. Also, contributing to this celebration of light are the art students from local schools, who are getting the chance to strut their stuff by conjuring up lanterns to light the path in Hesperia Park between the Opera and the Symphony Hall. The park is being renamed Lantern Park for the event.
Senate Square, Helsinki’s version of Times Square, will be transformed by Casa Magica in their Emergence. This German duo has been on the light installation circuit for around 20 years displaying their work all over the world. Their presentations, which often draw a crowd, involve an animated projection on a 3d surface, usually a building or other large structure, transforming it into a giant optical illusion. This year they will be dazzling viewers of the landmark Helsinki Cathedral, turning it into a moving work of art where clouds and sea merge with each other. This illuminated performance will last 10 minutes and will be accompanied by music and sound effects.
Making an encore appearance from last year’s event, Jukka Huitila will be presenting Variant Spectrum 2 at the Olympic Stadium Tower, considered the landmark installation of Lux Helsinki 2012. Why? He will be projecting a laser beam from the top of the tower that will connect the installations of Lux Helsinki. What a cool idea! Playing on the idea of the Olympic torch, this beacon of light announces the event to the city, being visible close-up or from a distance.
If this sounds as good to you as it does to me be sure to check out the Lux Helsinki “Programme” for a detailed map of the installation route. Markku sums it up best, “Many of the installations have been (specifically) commissioned for Lux Helsinki 2013 and cannot be seen anywhere else.” Knowing a little bit about how creative the Finnish people are, we can’t say we’re surprised. Sounds like a “don’t miss” in our book. If you can‘t make it to Helsinki for the Midnight Sun in summer, maybe this is the next best thing.
www.luxhelsinki.fi/en/programme