More light art installations than ever before and longer than ever: San Francisco at night has never been so brightly lit as in the coming weeks. From November 25th (Thanksgiving) to January 31st – longer than ever – the “Illuminate SF Festival of Light” will take place for the ninth time.
55 impressive, original and environmentally friendly installations – more than ever before – transform San Francisco into a huge light gallery. In the inaugural season in 2013 there were just six illuminated works of art.
The 41 permanent and 14 temporary works by more than 30 local and international light artists – including Leo Villareal, Joseph Kosuth, Jim Campbell and Ivan Navarro – are spread across 17 districts. The glowing works of art can also be admired in well-known museums such as the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, in the Salesforce Transit Center and even at the San Francisco International Airport.
These are the temporary and the best permanent works of art
New this year is “de Truth”, a light installation on the 140-meter-long outer facade of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. Poems, poets, and poetic expressions are shown here. On some evenings, there will also be a visual play of light without texts. This temporary work primarily honors the four San Francisco poets who died during the Covid pandemic: Diane di Prima, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Hirshman and Janice Mirikitani.
“Psychedelic Photosynthesis”, a colorfully illuminated, moving projection at the Conservatory of Flowers will also celebrate its premiere this year. The installation in Golden Gate Park is reminiscent of the Summer of Love and was developed in collaboration with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
“Winter Lights” is a new work by Joshua Hubert. The illuminated sculptures are located on 6th Avenue Skate Park in Golden Gate Park.
One of the most famous permanent light shows is “The Bay Lights”, an LED light chain almost three kilometers long and up to 152 meters high on the bridge of the same name. The work of art consists of 25,000 individually programmed white LED lights. The installation on the Bay Bridge was created by Leo Villareal in 2013.
Another eye-catcher since last year has been “The Ladder” – the ladder on a house facade is located in 1066 Market Street. Here the famous artist Ivan Navarro has transformed an everyday facility of urban architecture into a bright and surreally beautiful work.
“Entwined” was also built last year on Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park. This meadow work of art will now also be on permanent display. The local artist Charles Gadeken has created a bizarre wonderland of flowers, bushes and trees with changing lighting effects.
Most of the light art objects of the “Illuminate SF Festival of Light” can be viewed free of charge. Guided tours are also offered. An overview of all light installations, artists and events can be found at www.illuminatesf.com.
Admire the illuminated works of art on your own on the Art Trail
From the imposing illuminated Bay Bridge, to futuristic light sculptures in the Exploratorium, to impressive facade installations throughout the city: Visitors can easily explore the illuminated works of art on their own – thanks to the “Illuminate SF Light Art Trail”. This leads to eleven selected installations in the districts of Embarcadero, South of Market, Civic Center, Hayes Valley, Castro and Bayview.
Largest projection show in the USA
In addition to the “Illuminate SF Festival of Light”, “Let’s Glow SF”, the largest Christmas projection show in the USA, will take place for the first time from December 3 to 12. The nocturnal journey of light and color shows the works of local and international artists. Stunning whimsical, abstract, and naturalistic winter images are projected onto four iconic buildings in San Francisco’s Financial District, including the Pacific Stock Exchange and the Hyatt Regency (Embarcadero Center). Each show is five minutes long and performed every five minutes.
Art in San Francisco
San Francisco now has one of the largest collections of permanent light art in America. And California’s metropolis also has a lot to offer in other areas of art. The San Francisco Civic Art Collection comprises more than 3,500 objects, including historical monuments, murals, paintings, sculptures, and installations. The San Francisco Arts Commission oversees this extensive collection. It helps to profile the city as an important cultural travel destination.
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