How can we help?

© Punctum/Alexander Schmidt

Videos

from the Leipzig Festival of Lights 2015

Review of the Leipzig Festival of Lights 2015

Lichtfest Leipzig 2015
© Punctum/Stefan Hoyer

Around 25,000 participants commemorated the autumn of ’89 on the 9ᵗʰ of October 2015 at Augustusplatz in Leipzig. Under the motto “Freedom – Equality – Fraternity?”, they experienced a moving artistic programme exploring the themes of integration and identification, home and foreignness. A multimedia production featuring texts, photos, videos and music presented both historical and contemporary connections.

The main performers of the evening – actor Florian Lukas (among others, “Weissensee”), TV journalist Pinar Atalay and the Leipzig Opera choir – interpreted the motto in a critically reflective way. Contributions from literature, current news and music were complemented in the background by historical images and video footage on a large screen. At the same time, visitors used 10,000 candles to create an illuminated “89”. The short film shows both excerpts from the programme and impressions of the participants.

Guest at the "Festival of Light" in Jerusalem

Lichtfest Leipzig 2015
© Punctum/Alexander Schmidt

At the "Festival of Light" from 3 to 11 June 2015, light artists from all over the world made Jerusalem's Old City shine with their installations – among them Jürgen Meier, artistic director of the Leipzig Festival of Lights. He presented his artwork of light and music on the façade of the Church of the Redeemer in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City. The project entitled "Hope and Disappointment", in which a waterfall flows out of the church by means of a video installation, was first shown at the Leipzig Festival of Lights on 9ᵗʰ of October 2014. There, it connected the three houses of worship along Leipzig's city centre ring road. A special feature for the Festival of Light in Jerusalem: as the intonation for "Hope and Disappointment", light artist Jürgen Meier chose the Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. This work was performed at the same time as part of a "Leipzig Week" in the cloister of the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem.

Festival of Lights programme Candle sponsors Festival of Lights 2015 photos