There are amazing things showing up in London almost everyday. Last week,the creative outdoor company Artichoke transformed the capital into a light festival. Designed as an inevitable excuse to go out in the cold January, numerous spots in the city where invaded with lights. With this artistic intervention, London streets turned into joyful riots.
There were various installations covering renowned streets, cosy squares and hidden parks. The best opportunity to get to know new spots in the city for a new inhabitant like me. Leicester Square was converted into a lumière greenhouse, Picadilly was flooded with elegant flying fish, Oxford Circus was covered with an interactive sculpture, Regent street held an elephant and a marvelous video game.
One of the most surprising spots were the Rooftop Garden (with neon birdhouses) and Grosvenor Square. The lights of the place were completely off. The installations provided the light and they successively called your attention: sounds, lighting benches, staring faces,… In one of the corners I encountered the most playful sculpture: a telephone box turned into a marvelous living aquarium.
Kings Cross area was also magnificent. The icing on the cake was The Circus of Lights. This time, Ocubo designed an incredible audiovisual Circus projected on the side of the Granary Building, home of the Central Saint Martins art College. A fancy spectacle of London turned into a Circus, featuring acrobats, jugglers, dancers and performers, and a magical animated world of music. Simply gorgeous.
London seems to be a box full of surprises. Sometimes it is not only about the music, sometimes is about popping into a whole city that has just turned into a free open air exhibition.
Stereo Giraffe 