Urban Romanticism

Bridges over Main and Rhine, the future European Central Bank, not to mention cathedrals and ruins, the Loreley and Mathildenhöhe, subterranean labyrinths and Frankfurt’s skyline at night: These are some of the approximately 200 showplaces of the Luminale 08. The curator of the Luminale, Helmut M. Bien, gives some insights and outlooks.

“Urban Romanticism” is the motto of the Luminale 08 marathon. Many openings will already take place on April 5. The motto matches the renaissance of cities in evidence worldwide. Night-time has long been a design task for artists and designers and architects between Las Vegas and Dubai, Frankfurt and Lyon. The Luminale brings together creative minds on this theme: The light planners, who develop master plans fit for everyday use, the show designers who aim to thrill with events. Some pay attention to nature, seeking solutions for energy efficiency and reduction of light pollution, striving for the ideal of the “dark sky”. The climate debate has left its marks on the Luminale. Others know that wasteful festivals can unleash positive energy. What counts is always getting the dose right, especially as far as outdoor lighting is concerned. And you quickly arrive at the question of to whom the public space belongs. Here, Luminale projects are testing boundaries.

Once again the Luminale will form a tandem with Light+Building. The industry will present its innovations at the fair grounds and the Luminale will serve as a public light laboratory for ideas of dreamy nights of the future. The global players in the lighting industry including Artemide, iGuzzini, Philips and Siteco like to sup - port Luminale projects, especially in the case of young designers. Two trends are emerging: The fundamental interest in all the technologies for lighting control and imaging procedures. These are bundled in the programme of the NODE 08, the digital lighting art forum. Computer, projectors and scenographic work are all tried out in the design of interactive architecture and public space. And the number of church projects is also surprising.

The fact that the Luminale creates so much fun for so many people has to do with the gripping atmosphere which this festival develops: the charm of barely visible interventions, the broad appealing gestures, big names such as Olafur Eliasson and experimenting newcomers seeking an international public in the Rhine valley, Mainz, Wiesbaden or Offenbach. The events demonstrate the desire of designers to create something for the fleeting moment. And thus much remains challenge, gesture, fleeting sketch or play.