River of Light — Liverpool’s outdoor illuminated art trail
A stunning festival of phosphorescence
The River of Light is an annual trail which covers Liverpool’s waterfront, and the theme this year is Rhythm of the Light, integrating light and sound and most importantly, people. It comprises 11 installations which celebrate the colour and vibrancy which have been lacking in our cities over the last 20 months.
“It is time for our streets to be alive again, not to stand dark and silent. They need to make us smile and dance again, inspire and surprise us again.”
Here are some photos from the gallery, which runs until 7th November
Sonic Runway
Lining the Strand of Liverpool, this was the first artwork which greeted me on the River of Light trail, a 430 feet corridor of arches which convert sound into light patterns. Being framed by the beautiful backdrop of the city makes this a special experience.
The Pool
This one wasn’t too easy to find, tucked in Chavasse Park in a cranny of the Liverpool ONE shopping district. But children and adults alight seemed to eb delighted in activating these coloured LED platforms and joining together in a collaborative artwork.
Dance Together
This invisible pavilion on Graving Dock is a celebration of club culture, and Liverpool in particular, with the stories in the display complementing the hypnotising colours and music.
Nova
Little spots of light dance on the water surface for this slightly secluded piece which is hidden in the Mann Island Basin.
Light Piano 2.0 XL
I walked in to see a little girl playing Für Elise on the Piano, her keys corresponding to various light effects, in a way which was enthralling to everyone who watched.
Trumpet Flowers
On a similar note, the children were losing the plot here over this absolute forest of sound and light. Each trumpet had keys to control the instrument, with the result being some kind of chaotic Big Easy sound.
Spriteworks
Little Super Mario-style pixel blocks with some relaxing meditative soundscapes complement the beautiful canalscape. Each block had its own sounds, inspired by the ambient likes of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Junichi Masuda, C418 and Mkwaju Ensemble.
Wave
These 500 little spheres on Thomas Steers Way, close to the entrance of Liverpool One, produce sound as well as light, creating not just a colourful display but a consistently evolving soundscape.
Liverpool Love of My Life
Liverpool Love of My Life is a love letter to the city by Chila Kumari Singh Burman, covering themes of identity and memory and also incorporating her Punjabi heritage. It lights up the Liverpool Town Hall.
Iconic Site
Right in front of the Victorian docks which were given world heritage status in 2004, taken away earlier this year when UNESCO removed this as a consequence of the torrent of buy-to-let properties and new developments changing the face of this historical vestige of Liverpool’s place within the British empire.
Fly by Night
A little dream of a subterranean train underlying the canal. This conjures fantasies of an alternate Neverwhere-esque Liverpool Below which we can only catch glimpses of….
This is a testament to a city which thrives on imagination and collaboration and I’m happy to experience it.
River of Light runs from 5pm and 9pm between Friday 22nd October to Sunday 7th November
