The 2021 edition of Lights in Alingsås brought the international lighting community together once more this October.
This year´s theme of Together was chosen in reflection of the global pandemic.
We wanted to kindle that sparkle of hope by turning on the lights creating opportunities for visitors to gather once again.
The light trail covered 3 km and featured six installations spread throughout the heart of Alingsås. Guided tours were offered again this year, along with the option to use the dedicated Lights in Alingsås app for independent walks.
The same seven lighting designers who were scheduled to participate in 2020 got the chance to create this year’s installations. They were joined by 50 lighting design students from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Jönköping University.
New routines was established ahead of the workshop to ensure all participants’ safety and to comply with the current Covid-19 guidelines.
Site 1, Lilla Torget square was located on the bridge that divides the two squares in the city centre. The team wanted to describe the installation as “Bridge the gap: building a link to cross the gap between us, the divide that separates us from one another”.
Site 2, Landskyrkan church – The Embrace invited visitors to follow the light to the church, where there was a field of light. Weak at first, the light became brighter and brighter as it looped, before fading once more. The church tower would resemble a lighthouse to attract visitors from a far.
Site 3, Brunnsparken – The Jetty had a dynamic scene that mimics fireflies, bioluminescence and the light that living creatures emit. The light could be seen darting into the trees, imitating fireflies dancing together.
Site 4, Christinae Church – the church was only subtly illuminated, to allow the assembly house to glitter and sparkle like a diamond. Its rounded shape evoked a feeling of movement; tempt the visitors to keep going and see what was around the curve.
Site 5, Plantaget Park – the different scenes in the park were symbolic of communication and about how technology has kept the world connected in the past year. It showed both on failed communication and the spark inherent in meetings.
Site 6, The Klockan neighborhood – the inspiration to this site was fire, and its importance throughout history. A big campfire was built. Eight rope lighting in the ground lead to the duckboards surrounding the fire that invited the visitors to interactivity. As they stepped on a duckboard, a flame shot up from the fire and gave the fire oxygen. The more people stepped on the duckboards together, the higher the flames became.
Children´s Lights by designer and drama teacher Malin Wallin, wanted to take the visitors to a magical pond where creatures and humans could meet.
Lights in Alingsås took place from 1 October to 7 November 2021.
