In the end of September, the new light art exhibition format URBAN LIGHTS RUHR is illuminating the North Rhine-Westphalian city of Hamm. Five international artists teams were invited to approach urban issues of the Ruhr region via the medium of light: Jun Yang, plastique fantastique, RaumZeitPiraten, Sans façon and LAb [au].
deconarch.com is delighted to accompany the URBAN LIGHTS RUHR as a media partner: We will accompany the festival with exclusive interviews with the participating artists‘ collectives!
Sans façon consists of British artist Tristan Surtees and French architect Charles Blanc. They have been exploring the complex relations between men and places in different projects since 2001. Their temporary and permanent works function as catalysts starting up processes of intensive analysis of the ambient space. Cooperation with the locals is vital to the implementation of the projects, which range from architecture and social design to urban interventions and artistic installations.
In Hamm, Sans façon installed three projects. Pantone Perfect is a projection on the flat roof of a overground bunker. In an hourly rhythm, it indicates the change of the sky color. Based on the cyanometer of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure the respective shades of blue are mixed with color pigments – the same pigments used in Holi festivals – and thrown against the facade of the bunker in an automated installation. The result on the facade of the building is an unusual time indicator which shows the continuous change of the sky turning it into an event.
Under the roof of the bus station of Hamm, Sunset Sunrise continuously shows sunrises and sunsets from cities around the world. Two info boards, well-known from airports, indicate the names of the cities, where the sun rises and where the sun goes down at the same moment, simultaneously.
And of course Sans façon’s well-known project Limelight – it has toured more than ten cities since 2010 – isn’t missing in Hamm either where it is installed centrally on the Bahnhofstraße (corner Luisenstraße). For Limelight, two common street lights are replaced with theater spotlights. During the dark, the spotlights create an light spot on the floor which offers passersby the „stage“ for their very own special appearance.