Following a successful first year in 2020, the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station will be brightening up the dark winter evenings again from 13th January – 27th February 2022. Six spectacular installations, curated in partnership with the Light Art Collection, founded by the Amsterdam Light Festival, will be on display across London’s most exciting riverside neighbourhood, including a new area of public realm which visitors can now enjoy in front of the iconic Grade II* listed building on the banks of the River Thames.
Two of the festival’s installations, Antenna Sud by Italian lighting designer Michela Bonzi, and Picto Sender Machine by Felipe Prado will be making their UK debut at Battersea Power Station, alongside Angelo Bonello’s Run Beyond which will be on display for the very first time in London.
The great mix of retailers already open at Battersea Power Station will have a host of offers to celebrate the return of the Light Festival, plus take-away specials to enjoy as visitors wander around the installations. From warming hot drinks and sweet treats from Black Sheep Coffee and newly opened Japanese patisserie, Kova, to brilliant British seafood at Wright Brothers, authentic Spanish delights at Tapas Brindisa and bottomless pizza at Gordon Ramsay’s Street Pizza, the options are endless. There are also hundreds of wines to explore by the glass at Battersea Power Station’s unique urban winery, Vagabond Wines, and craft beer brewed on site at Battersea Brewery.
Carlin Fier, Head of Brand at Battersea Power Station Development Company said:
“We’re thrilled to be bringing the Light Festival back to Battersea Power Station after such a successful first year, especially as we now have more outdoor space to host these spectacular installations following the opening of further public realm in front of the Power Station. Establishing a new cultural district for London that generates a sense of community has always been important to us and our shareholders while regenerating this iconic site. This will continue to be a key focus for our events programme in 2022, the most exciting year yet for the project, as we prepare to open the Power Station’s doors to the public in late summer.”
The six light installations from some of the globe’s most innovative light artists on display at this year’s Light Festival, which is free to the public, include:
Antenna Sud by Michela Bonzi – UK debut
Antennas were once prominent in cities, but after the large-scale construction of underground cable networks they disappeared from most European streets. Southern Europe, Italy in particular, is an exception. For Italian lighting designer Michela Bonzi, antennas are not something nostalgic – they form an ordinary part of her daily surroundings. With Antenna Sud she brings the antennas back into the urban landscape. They have been transformed into sculptures that, instead of emitting radio waves, emanate light, and will be making their UK debut at this year’s festival next to Battersea Power Station’s Switch House East.
Picto Sender Machine by Felipe Prado – UK debut
The resolution of the images that Felipe Prado’s Picto Sender Machine produces is not only lower than we’re used to but is lower than the resolution of the first-ever digital photograph from 1957. Picto Sender Machine is a welcome change in a time that we are used to seeing films, television programmes, and photographs in high definition. The machine consists of an enormous low-resolution screen of 1,200 enlarged pixels and invites you to record a short video message. However, you can’t use words to express yourself, only your movements, dance steps and gestures which are then translated into blocks of light. Located next Grosvenor Arch in Circus West Village, the machine which will be on display for the first time in the UK, will encourage visitors to express themselves in the simplest, most instinctive way, without thinking about it too much.
Run Beyond by Angelo Bonello – London debut
Making its first London appearance at the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station, Run Beyond focuses on the leap that we all must make, sooner or later: the leap to freedom. Which freedom that is, Italian artist, Angelo Bonello doesn’t specify, that is up to the spectator to decide. Bonello said: “This work is about the power of imagination; a force that is so strong that it allows individuals to overcome their fears and limitations so that they can open themselves up to other cultures, new friendships and unknown worlds.” Run Beyond will be displayed on the riverwalk in front of the London landmark.
Digital Origami Tigers by LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture)
LAVA’s Digital Origami Tigers started their journey around the world in 2010 to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Sydney, Australia and will be on display at London’s iconic Battersea Power Station when the next Year of the Tiger begins on 1st February 2022. The digital tigers combine ancient methods of lantern making with cutting-edge design and technology, bringing together east and west. The enormous tigers are made of recycled materials including aluminium and barrisol, whilst pulsating low energy LED lighting brings the sculptures to life. The artwork was adopted by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to generate attention for their international campaign to save tigers.
Greenhouse by Victor Engbers
The laws of science tell us that glass is unable to emit light. Dutch artist, Victor Engbers, chose to ignore the laws of science and went on a quest to make the impossible possible. He discovered that uranium-glass, which has existed for 2,000 years, shines a fluorescent green colour under ultraviolet light. Following this discovery, Victor teamed up with a professional glassblower to create an entire ‘Greenhouse’ out of the uranium-glass, something which has never been done before. Engbers’ creation will be on display next to the Power Station’s Switch House West during the festival.
Eternal Sundown by Mads Vegas
Returning to Battersea Power Station’s Grade II* listed Coaling Jetty, the popular Eternal Sundown is performed by Danish light designer, Mads Vegas, and consists of approximately 140 filtered fluorescent tubes. The artist did not intend for the work to look like a natural sunset but deliberately used materials that give it a post-apocalyptic feel. Will this manmade sun be the only source of light when the polluted air will not let the sunshine through anymore? Or is this piece, made with recycled materials, a sign of hope and a new source of sustainable power?
Travelling to the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station couldn’t be easier with the recently opened Zone 1 Battersea Power Station Underground station bringing the riverside neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the City. Battersea Power Station also has its very own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier and is 15-minute journey from Embankment, 20 minutes from Blackfriars, 30 minutes from Putney and 40 minutes from Canary Wharf. The riverside neighbourhood is easily accessible by bus, bike, car and train too.
For further information on the Light Festival and the special retailer offers and take-away options available, please visit bpwrstn.com/lightfestival2022.
