CULTURAL RADIANCE WORKSHOP
Workshop Reflection: Cultural Radiance – Light Art in Neglegted Spaces
January 2025, Berlin
I had the chance to start this year with the inspiring Cultural Radiance Workshop, organised by Colloc Productions (Hungary), Public Art Lab (Germany), Sérum (Slovakia), and Valoparta Oy (Finland). The three-day workshop (29–31 January 2025), held at Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, focused on how light art can help regenerate neglected urban spaces.
On the first day, the partners of the program - Mátyás Kálmán (Colloc), Susa Pop (Public Art Lab), Gabor Szücs (Sérum) and Kari Kola (Valoparta) - introduced their works and shared how their practices transform forgotten areas into meaningful, luminous experiences. We also had the opportunity to hear from Claudio Caciolli, Creative Consultant at Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig, and Clara Sauer from Himmel Unter Berlin.
Later in the day, selected artists presented their works - an inspiring range of projects in scale, medium, and approach. A common tool that caught my attention was TouchDesigner, which many of the artists used to develop multimedia and light-based artworks. Personally, I was most inspired by the lumino-kinetic sculptures of Zalan Adorjan. As someone who enjoys exploring tensegrity structures and integrating physical interaction with light, it was a valuable moment to hear him speak about his creative process.
As a lighting designer (though not necessarily a light artist), I strongly believe in the transformative power of light in space - both as an atmospheric element and as an artistic medium. This workshop allowed me to engage with diverse perspectives and reminded me of the artistic potential light holds in redefining spatial experience.
The second day started with presentations by Heike Schumacher (Technical University Berlin), Caroline Vilbrandt (OpTechBB), and Stefan Kraus (Node Institute Berlin), offering an overview of Berlin’s lighting context and sparking essential conversations about light pollution. This felt like a crucial discussion - how can light art address or even mitigate the issue of light pollution while still animating forgotten places? I appreciated that the topic was raised, though I couldn’t help but think about the common sense in the industry and how often “seeing the stars” is used as a metaphor in light pollution advocacy. Perhaps it's time for less romantic, more compelling narratives to truly communicate the urgency and value of preserving the night sky. But that's a reflection for another workshop review.
Later in the day, we visited Kling Klang Klong’s studio, after spending the afternoon in group sessions developing concepts around different themes. I joined a group focused on interaction. We explored tools and materials that enable light interactivity, discussed how physical and digital interactions can merge, and debated the ideal rhythm and responsiveness needed for meaningful user engagement.
On the final day, we refined our group concepts and presented them to a public audience after the panels “How Light Art Can Regenerate Abandoned Spaces?” and “Sharing Light Art Practices”. The workshop ended with a networking session, and a showcase of selected artists’ works in the windows of Collegium Hungaricum - a perfect way to close a vibrant, collaborative experience.
Overall, it was a thought-provoking and inspiring three days that encouraged me to reflect deeply on the role of light in urban storytelling and interaction. While this wasn’t an explicit topic of the workshop, observing the works and discussions led me to question how we approach neglected spaces - and made me realise the importance of not treating the built environment merely as an empty canvas, but rather as something that still speaks, holds memory, and deserves a contextual dialogue.
I’m thankful to all the organisers, speakers, and fellow participants who made this experience so rich.
The good news is that the project partners have announced an open call for artworks that will be exhibited in selected locations across Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and Finland. You can find more details about the call here:
👉 Cultural Radiance Open Call
You can also find more about the artists and workshops here:
👉 Cultural Radiance Workshop
Some photos from the workshop are below. How nice it is to meet talented, amazing people!
January 2025, Berlin
I had the chance to start this year with the inspiring Cultural Radiance Workshop, organised by Colloc Productions (Hungary), Public Art Lab (Germany), Sérum (Slovakia), and Valoparta Oy (Finland). The three-day workshop (29–31 January 2025), held at Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, focused on how light art can help regenerate neglected urban spaces.
On the first day, the partners of the program - Mátyás Kálmán (Colloc), Susa Pop (Public Art Lab), Gabor Szücs (Sérum) and Kari Kola (Valoparta) - introduced their works and shared how their practices transform forgotten areas into meaningful, luminous experiences. We also had the opportunity to hear from Claudio Caciolli, Creative Consultant at Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig, and Clara Sauer from Himmel Unter Berlin.
Later in the day, selected artists presented their works - an inspiring range of projects in scale, medium, and approach. A common tool that caught my attention was TouchDesigner, which many of the artists used to develop multimedia and light-based artworks. Personally, I was most inspired by the lumino-kinetic sculptures of Zalan Adorjan. As someone who enjoys exploring tensegrity structures and integrating physical interaction with light, it was a valuable moment to hear him speak about his creative process.
As a lighting designer (though not necessarily a light artist), I strongly believe in the transformative power of light in space - both as an atmospheric element and as an artistic medium. This workshop allowed me to engage with diverse perspectives and reminded me of the artistic potential light holds in redefining spatial experience.
The second day started with presentations by Heike Schumacher (Technical University Berlin), Caroline Vilbrandt (OpTechBB), and Stefan Kraus (Node Institute Berlin), offering an overview of Berlin’s lighting context and sparking essential conversations about light pollution. This felt like a crucial discussion - how can light art address or even mitigate the issue of light pollution while still animating forgotten places? I appreciated that the topic was raised, though I couldn’t help but think about the common sense in the industry and how often “seeing the stars” is used as a metaphor in light pollution advocacy. Perhaps it's time for less romantic, more compelling narratives to truly communicate the urgency and value of preserving the night sky. But that's a reflection for another workshop review.
Later in the day, we visited Kling Klang Klong’s studio, after spending the afternoon in group sessions developing concepts around different themes. I joined a group focused on interaction. We explored tools and materials that enable light interactivity, discussed how physical and digital interactions can merge, and debated the ideal rhythm and responsiveness needed for meaningful user engagement.
On the final day, we refined our group concepts and presented them to a public audience after the panels “How Light Art Can Regenerate Abandoned Spaces?” and “Sharing Light Art Practices”. The workshop ended with a networking session, and a showcase of selected artists’ works in the windows of Collegium Hungaricum - a perfect way to close a vibrant, collaborative experience.
Overall, it was a thought-provoking and inspiring three days that encouraged me to reflect deeply on the role of light in urban storytelling and interaction. While this wasn’t an explicit topic of the workshop, observing the works and discussions led me to question how we approach neglected spaces - and made me realise the importance of not treating the built environment merely as an empty canvas, but rather as something that still speaks, holds memory, and deserves a contextual dialogue.
I’m thankful to all the organisers, speakers, and fellow participants who made this experience so rich.
The good news is that the project partners have announced an open call for artworks that will be exhibited in selected locations across Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and Finland. You can find more details about the call here:
👉 Cultural Radiance Open Call
You can also find more about the artists and workshops here:
👉 Cultural Radiance Workshop
Some photos from the workshop are below. How nice it is to meet talented, amazing people!
