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A view outside the Palatine Centre

Lumiere is back to light up Durham

29 September 2023
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Lumiere installation at St Mary's College 2021

Lumiere is set to transform Durham into a spectacular outdoor gallery of light installations from 16 – 19 November. As a key partner, we are excited to once again light up the city.

Lumiere 2023 is set to deliver its biggest programme so far which will give visitors the chance to enjoy over 40 installations across County Durham. This year we are hosting a number of awe-inspiring installations which will transform some of our buildings into vibrant art pieces.

Partnership Artworks

We are supporting  four key artworks at the festival; on Palace Green, the Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, St Mary’s College and Durham Castle, home to University College.

Spanish artist Javier Riera will create an immersive series of three-dimensional projections titled Liquid Geometry on Palace Green in which visitors will be able to walk amongst and underneath incredible geometric shapes that Riera creates, exploring the hidden qualities and dimensions of the historic buildings.

A brand-new commission by contemporary artist, Daniel Canogar, has used inspiration from our leading Physics department. In the piece named Universal Loom, Canogar will create a textile-like animated projection inspired by string theory, interpreting the woven nature of space and time. It will be created with astronomical data provided by the boundary-breaking research conducted by our physicists, led by Professor Carlos Frenk.

For the first time in the UK, Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi brings his piece Sacral to the grounds of St Mary’s College. Tracing the outline of Durham Cathedral in the distance, the work is a beautiful sculpture viewed from the terrace of St Mary’s College. Tresoldi, who was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal for Italian Architecture in 2018, was inspired by Dante’s Noble Castle of Limbo to produce this ghostly surreal reconstruction of a Cathedral transept.

Interactive installation, Colour the Castle, from Dutch production house Mr. Beam, will transform Durham Castle with a magical colouring book projection onto the 11th century building, using drawings by 150 residents and visitors to the city. Their designs will be projected directly onto the Castle, turning an iconic building into a communal canvas.

Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Karen O’Brien says:

“Lumiere is one of the great cultural highlights of the year and the programme for this year’s light art biennial is the most ambitious yet. It includes installations by international artists who have been inspired by the work of our world-leading scientists.

“We are proud to be sponsoring and co-hosting Lumiere. Whether you’ve been to every Lumiere or you’ve never been before: wrap up warm, head out into the night and be ready to be inspired.”

Enjoy the spectacle!

Everyone is invited to join us at Lumiere this year, tickets are free of charge and can be ordered on the Lumiere website.

We hope you enjoy this fantastic display of light and art.

Find out more