Fête des Lumières

In 2021, Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France approached us with an interest in our collection. For our relatively young organisation, being invited to become part a light festival with such a long, prestigious history is no small achievement.

Few can claim to be one of the oldest light festivals in the world. That distinction belongs to Fête des Lumières, which traces its roots back to 1643, when it began as a candlelit procession giving thanks to Mary, the Mother of God, for sparing Lyon from the plague that was ravaging Europe at the time. It has since evolved into the mother of all light festivals, and a true benchmark in the world of contemporary light art.

Medieval origins, contemporary luminaries

It was an opportunity that we found irresistible. We were proud to showcase our pieces alongside a thoughtfully curated selection of 30 installations by leading lights of the contemporary light art world.

Special attention was paid by Fête des Lumières to find the perfect location for each of our pieces. Take Flight!by Ralf Westerhof soared above the banks of the Saône river, while Aftereal by Yasuhiro Chida cast a hundred luminous waves of light across the Place Antonin Poncet, a historic square that was once home to Lyon’s second biggest hospital.

Over the course of four days, over 300,000 people came to attend that year, marking both the festival and our partnership as a resounding success. All the more reason for us to return to Fête des Lumières in 2023, bringing a centerpiece from our collection that’s sure to be a highlight of the season.