Title

Public Art and Communion: Light, Festival, and Ritual

Abstract

We analyze how works of art in public spaces stage transcendental experiences involving light in its’ “purest” state, while ignoring military and commercial uses for projection technology. After a brief historical overview of the technical development and use of searchlights in propaganda, art, and advertising, we explore the symbolism of these tools in a context that favors promotional events over intimate encounters. While some artworks draw on ritual conventions to inspire audiences, others entertain them with laser light shows updating ancestral magic. Overall, searchlight-based public art aims to unite the public, whereas personal electronic devices use light to separate individuals from their neighbors. However, the use of light projectors in art remains paradoxical; the medium ultimately sheds a “fragmented” light on the present day, while inviting the public to come together to face the unpredictable future.

Publisher

IRHiS–Institut de Recherches Historiques du Septentrion

Publication Date

2016

Publication Title

Lumière(s)

Department

Art

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Public art, Searchlights, Spotlights, Spectacle

Document Version

Published

Language

French

Format

text

Link to Full Text

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