| Light Art Manifesto

LIGHT ART MANIFESTO*

The way we interfere with our world is very much defined by the way we experience it. We are what we see, hear, feel and understand through all our senses, therefore:

WE ARE WHAT WE PERCEIVE!

One way of understanding Existence is visual perception. Visual perception is made possible by Light: emitted by and reflected from surfaces into our eyes and being processed by our thoughts and emotions.

Besides the physical phenomenon and the ways it affects the biological condition of all existing forms of life, Light is the matter through which we visually perceive, hence the information carried by light helps us understand our world, just as the light-information of the night sky allows us to learn more about the Universe.

Science has a measurable approach, Art provokes our Senses, all with the same motivation: understanding the ultimate questions of Life, as the only way to Consciousness.

Artists have an important role in this process, artists are the seismographs of their times. Artists analyses the mechanisms of perception with a particular focus on the boundaries of perception. By continuously reflecting on these questions, Art kept and keeps people awake and aware of all of the processes of perception! The conclusions of the artistic research are extending the boundaries and expanding our scope of action.

Light is not only the matter of visual perception, but the primary substance of our Existence; as a result, when light artists are analyzing the processes of visual perception, we are actually dissecting the fundamental questions of Existence!

Since Art has met Science and Light has become our matter of creation: Light Art Installations, Light Environments, Video Sculptures, Spatial Projections, Architectural Projections, Projection Mapping, Interactive and Immersive Experiences, Light Interventions, Light Paintings, AV Performances and the various other forms of Luminism – through all the light-based and lumino-kinetic experiences – enable us to research, tweak, enhance, construct, deconstruct, dissect human perception at a level never seen before!

The Art of Light reflects on How and What we see, on How and What we Interpret, therefore on How and What we Understand! The artist seeks the truth as intensely as a scientist!

We have the eyes of a painter, the soul of a poet, and the brain of an engineer! We strongly believe that we can understand Creation the utmost by Creating!

Regarding the social impact: if Light has such an important role in our physical existence, we presume that Light Art has a similarly important role in our metaphysical condition. Light Art affects people on so many non-physical levels – emotional, psychological, intellectual –, hence light art is as important for our spiritual state, as Light is for our biological state!

We consider Light Art a re-entry into our Coexistence! A possibility to elevate our Senses to a better Understanding, through Emotional Experience, Visual Thinking, Spatial Thinking, because Light is information, and reading the information is crucial, not only for the improvement of our Survival Kit, but for our Spiritual Elevation.

The Art of Light is a medium that offers a social experience, a bond between people, an Interaction through Interaction. Light stimulates and activates all our sensory channels, organizing our bodily sensations into a common ensemble.

Light Art has a long and fruitful history, but it has never had a dedicated Manifesto. At the moment, we are on the verge of the instrumentalisation of kinetic media and the commodification of all luminous excitements, appropriated by market-oriented activities.

Light Festivals have become popular venues for promoting “Light Art”, but in most cases the audience has been misled, embellishments are/were presented as pieces of contemporary Light Art. But a festal decoration cannot carry – by nature -, too much information, for this reason it cannot raise meaningful questions. We do not agree with these tendencies and by signing this Manifesto we want to intervene into the process of commercialization that calls the results: “Art”. Embellishments will not possess any aesthetic, intellectual, or cultural values merely by assigning the magical tag: ART to them!

We are simply requesting the Light Festivals and Light Events that prefer embellishments and all those shows, projections and decorations out of the artistic context, not to use the tag “Light Art”, in order to avoid ruining the values of Light Art – most of all – deluding the Audience! Evoking and maintaining the legacy of lumino-kinetic media means that we are protecting its values!

We are convinced that events dedicated to the luminous wonder have to bring Art and Light into a meaningful and complementary relationship, otherwise the audience will be continuously mislead!

The Audience, the Visitors are Receivers, therefore the responsibility of what to exhibit is completely on the organizers, curators, and the artists themselves! We are calling all parties to bring a substantial quality change, in order to elevate Light Festivals to become important platforms of Light Art, so they can act as genuine conduits of Light Art. In the era when – in technical terms – there is enough Light, conversely, we need more Art!

By signing this manifesto, we intend to draw attention to the values of lumino-kinetic art, the aesthetic merits of the profession and to the legacy of our great Precursors!