Durham DH1 3EH United Kingdom
Lumiere is the UK's largest light festival and has been transforming cities since 2009. The central piece of the 2021 edition in Durham will be 'In Our Hearts Blind Hope', a video-mapping projection created by Hungarian artist Zsolt Balogh (Palma Studio), supported by the Liszt Institute London.
Inspired by Día de los Muertos (the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday), which involves gathering each November to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, shape-shifting video-mapped projections transform the façade of Durham Cathedral into an immersive reflection on the present moment. The darkness and loss we have endured ushers in the glimmering return of Lumiere as a moment of collective hope for the city and its residents. The piece begins with images of people from the local community in Durham lighting candles in the Cathedral.
An original soundtrack by composer and sound designer Richard Hammarton acts as the heartbeat of the piece, building from quiet contemplation to an electrifying crescendo of the natural sounds of insects buzzing and wings fluttering alongside community recordings and orchestral composition.
The piece runs on a 12-minute loop.
IN OUR HEARTS BLIND HOPE, Palma Studio. Rendering courtesy of the artist.