Water, Light, Art – The 3rd Light Course Braunschweig 2010

Since the Middle Ages the river Oker has acted as an important part of the city’s fortifications by encircling the city like an island. During the 19^th century villas were erected and parks created there. A ring of greenery and water, an oasis of tranquillity and nature developed around the city centre and has been preserved until today – a nearly poetic city landscape that cannot be found in any other city. Trips on the Oker are no longer an insider tip, they are now part of every visit to the Lion City and offer an unforgettable experience. In the summer of 2010 the river Oker and its parks will become an enchanting backdrop for the Braunschweig Light Course: nine internationally renowned, contemporary female and male artists with their designs have taken a landscaped, urban or social-historical reference to the city. This they have made an integral part of their work. The Light Course 2010 presents these temporary works that were especially designed for Braunschweig from the 19^th of June to the 30^th of September 2010. People from Braunschweig and visitors to the Lion City can discover these works of art along the banks of the Oker.

The tranquillity of the floating raft that glides from station to station in the dusk and darkness lets the visitor experience the urban environment in a completely new way. The river Oker, on whose banks the works of art are strung along like pearls, extends its space building presence with the illuminations by night. The rather unusual experience of seeing the light course from floats and canoes is the consistent answer to the special topography of this city.

Although the Light Course is more than worth a visit during daytime, its complete magic unfolds only by dusk or at night during a tour by float on the river Oker. Alternatively, tours on foot or by bike are offered.

More information or bookings at the Touristinfo under: (+49 (0)531) 470 20 40 or under www.braunschweig.de/touristinfo.

About the Light Course

In the year 2000 an initiative for the artistic presentation of the urban space was successfully implemented with the Braunschweig Light Course: 13 female and male artists especially created installations with the themes ‘Light and Water’ for the bridges of the Oker moat. Over 500.000 spectators were on the roads during the evening and night hours to experience different light and art projects during the months of June to October 2000. With this Light Course Braunschweig became the venue for a public exhibition of contemporary light art that in this extent was unique in the whole of Germany.

Four years later this project was continued with the ‘Braunschweig Course 2004’. Again 12 internationally renowned, contemporary female and male artists were involved who developed site-specific installations.

Due to the positive feedback by the public for the temporarily installed art projects, the city of Braunschweig decided in the year 2008 to effectively enhance the attractiveness of the Oker area by installing permanent works of art. These made the bridges of the Oker objects for contemporary art installations during the long-term exhibition project ‘Oker Light’. An integral part of each individual work of art is its respective close relationship with one of the Oker bridges.

The Light Course 2010 is being extended by the, since 2008, permanently installed light art project ‘Evocation in Red’ by the artist Yvonne Goulbier as well as by  the ‘Arch of Remembrance’ by the Italian light artist Fabrizio Plessi. This was also reactivated in the year 2008 and was furnished with a permanent light installation authorised by the artist himself.

An extensive event programme will accompany the Light Course 2010. This programme will be made public from March 2010 onwards under www.braunschweig.de/lichtparcours. You can get further information about package tours, guided tours and raft trips along the Light Course 2010 at the Touristinfo under (+49 (0)531) 470 20 40 or touristinfo@braunschweig.de.

The artists of the Light Course 2010

Thomas Bartels’ installation ‘1000 Flowers’ consists of three modified cement mix machines that seem to simply float on the water. With the beginning of dusk the drums start to rotate. This installation at the bridge at Fallersleber Tor turns the principle of a kaleidoscope upside down: the drum mixes up colourful pieces of glass and thus creates something extremely light and airy.

Rainer Gottemeier with his ‘Braunschweig Summit’ visualises a cartographic network on the surface of the water of the Portikus pond. Paths and crossroads, the river Oker, buildings and churches are highlighted by different means of lighting. With approaching darkness this constellation changes into a visual concept of moving points in space.

Yvonne Goulbier changed the crossing at the bridge at Jasperallee into a magical light zone in the year 2008 with her installation ‘Evocation in Red’ by using more than 150 red LED lights. The delicate yellow enhancement of the bridge balustrade created a connection to the lighted traffic area. The second part of her work is a wandering light point on the cornice at the back wall of the Staatstheater (State theatre). That point symbolises the flowing of traffic over the river and is a welcome sign into the city centre as well as a ‘pursuer floodlight’ of the Staatstheater.

Jeppe Hein invites visitors into a programmed water pavilion with his ‘Appearing Rooms’. The individual walls of water rise and fall, open and close, before again changing their form and appearance. Visitors can enter the pavilion and will again and again find themselves in new inner rooms but also suddenly outside the water pavilion without being able to control what is happening. Placed in the Museum Park the water pavilion invites you to a refreshing spectacle.

Jan Köchermann lights up huge lanterns in his project ‘Settlements’. These light sculptures consist of metal structures that are covered in a PVC foil printed with the facades of houses. The house fronts of the light sculptures received their inspiration from council houses and ghettos. To fulfil the settlement character of the installation, this work of art consists of four different settlements at different venues within the city.

Fabrizio Plessi was already part of the Light Course 2000 with his ‘Arch of Remembrance’. This work of art that was reactivated in the year 2008 reconstructs a bridge at Alten Bahnhof, that does not exist anymore, with a video installation. This bridge used to connect the city centre with the railway terminus from 1844 onwards.

Susanne Rottenbacher shows with her ‘Colour Ring 450d’ that the appearance of an object changes with different light because lightness and different colours change our perception. This co-operation between light and colour is a central theme in painting. This sculpture ‘Colour Ring 450d’ visualizes this subject in a completely new way by combining both elements, painting and light, in this work of art.

Christiane Stegats ‘Spawn’ are rows of spheres that put next to each other and on top of each other form a volume, a cluster. The intended association of the rows of spheres with an egg clutch, a spawn or foam is disturbed by the varying  ‘sphere features’, the size and the difference in materials. 

Arend Zwicker presents his light and mirror installation ‘8,33%’ on a pond in the Braunschweig Bürgerpark. This crystal sculpture swims right on the surface of the water and with the help of wind spins around its own axis. Rays of sunlight or floodlight will produce unexpected reflections in the open space around the pond.

Contact person for this event

Stadt Braunschweig
Fachbereich Kultur
Kulturinstitut
Jürgen Vicari
Schlossplatz 1
38100 Braunschweig
Tel.: (05 31) 4 70-4843
Internet: www.braunschweig.de/lichtparcours

Contact for tours and guided tours

Touristinfo Braunschweig
Braunschweig Stadtmarketing GmbH
Vor der Burg 1
38100 Braunschweig
Tel.: (05 31) 4 70-2040
Fax: (05 31) 4 70-2044
E-Mail: touristinfo@braunschweig.de
Internet: www.braunschweig.de/touristinfo

Braunschweig Stadtmarketing GmbH
Marisa Kauert
Schild 4
38100 Braunschweig
Tel.: (05 31) 4 70 27 58
Fax: (05 31) 4 70 44 45
E-Mail: marisa.kauert@braunschweig.de
Internet: www.braunschweig.de