Get set for a whale of a time at Lumiere
Next month sees the return of Lumiere to Durham – and audiences are being given a teaser of what to expect from the 10th anniversary spectacular.
Organisers of the hugelypopular light festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people to Durham City, have announced that festival favourite Mysticète is coming back to the River Wear.
The mesmerising 3D projection of a baleen whale emerging out of the water, created by design agency Top’là and visual artist Catherine Garret, was a much-loved feature of Lumiere Durham 2015. For the festival’s 10th anniversary edition, taking place from November 14-17 this year, it will resurface on the River Wear at a new location north of Pennyferry Bridge.
It is the first of several popular returning artworks to be announced for the 10th anniversary, along with a host of new commissions from leading international artists working with the medium of light. The full line-up will be announced on October 17.
Artist Catherine Garret said: “I have always loved the strength, grace and majesty of whales - I first imagined Mysticète as a ballet. To me it’s important that we feel we are a part of nature rather than separate from it, and that by taking care of the Earth and living things we are taking care of ourselves. In light of the environmental issues and natural disasters we are currently experiencing, Mysticète feels even more relevant than when it came to Lumiere in 2015. I want to create a bond between nature and everyone who sees the work, especially children. When you look at their spellbound faces, you realise they are the generation we are passing our world onto.”