Let There Be Light: Experience Art Through Projection
At DeGroot Fine Art, we’re one month into working remotely in response to health concerns. During this time many cultural institutions have risen up to the challenges of isolation, and it’s now possible to tour international museums and art collections digitally. It’s empowering to see arts organizations of all sizes providing creative programming that’s virtually accessible; I’ve ‘seen’ numerous gallery exhibitions and ‘toured’ museum collections around the world from the safety of my couch. When communities begin to reopen, I think we’ll be looking for other ways to artwork outside the home, but still from a safe distance.
Lumière
In 2018 I had the opportunity to visit France with my family; I covered another artful part of that trip on the blog previously. We drove south from Paris, stopping in small towns on our way to the coast. One memorable stop was Beaune, a walled town in the middle of Burgundy. Famous for its perfectly intact 15th-century hospice, we spent hours taking in its collection of medieval tapestries, frescoed ceilings, and an astoundingly intricate painted altarpiece. After a long day of walking through this historic town, we stopped for dinner in the town center courtyard. As the sun started to set, we saw that the building opposite the restaurant was illuminated with images of interlocking gears, slowly shifting; the building is the town’s clock tower, and the lights projected onto it cast an illusion of the mechanisms at work inside.
From there we walked through the town, stopping at other buildings similarly illuminated by projected video on the façade. Grand, colorful patterns wound around columns; other buildings were lit with scenes that illustrated their history, including the side of the hospice which showed a recreation of its alchemical pharmacy from the 1400s.
Lights, Art, Action!
Art on theMART
I was struck by the impact of the contemporary light display; it gave life to the rich history of this town and enhanced the beauty of its architecture. The locals were clearly proud of Beaune and its light show as well. Many of them were gathered alongside us tourists, watching the colorful illustration dance along the buildings. Shortly after returning home to Chicago, the city started a similar program to project video artwork on the Merchandise Mart. Seated on the bank of the river, the Mart is a grand, iconic structure. The city collaborated with several artists to create a massive digital display of video artwork that, similar to Beaune, was intended for natives and visitors alike.
While each city’s display leaves a distinct and different impression—Beaune emphasized their history and traced their story through to present-day while Chicago worked entirely with contemporary artists to create a futuristic display—what struck me most was the power of this type of public artwork to strengthen the community. A projected light show is safe to view alone and from a distance, but it makes the viewer feel connected to the place they are in. Seeing artwork integrated into architecture fosters a sense of pride in the resilience of a community, which feels like something we especially need now.
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