World-renowned artists to show light-based works in private homes

Biennale for International Light Art to be held in Germany in 2010

By Christine Hoffmann | Web only
Published online 8 Apr 09

FRANKFURT. The first Biennale for International Light Art will take place in 2010, in the Ruhr Area in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, from 28 March to 27 May 2010. Sixty internationally established artists— including Angela Bulloch, Tracey Emin, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson, Pipilotti Rist, James Turrell, Rosemarie Trockel and Dan Flavin—will be showing light-based works in a number of private flats and houses in the cities of Bergkamen, Bönen, Fröndenberg, Hamm, Lünen and Unna. The Ruhr Area will be a European Capital of Culture in 2010.

The response to the organiser’s official appeal for people to make space available in their homes for the art project was overwhelming, says biennale press officer Mirjam Flender. “We had all sorts of people calling in offering a room for the duration of the biennale,” she says. “A nursery was among them, as well as a guy collecting stuffed animals. Considering the fact that they have to let total strangers into their home every other weekend, the response was really great.”

“The projects move the general public into a private space,” says the biennale’s artistic director Matthias Wagner K. “It creates a direct dialogue between art and the urban life of the region.” Some of the works will be created specifically for the project.

Jan Hoet, honorary president of the biennale, organised an exhibition in Gent in 1986, “Chambres d’Amis”, which had a similar concept of showing works of art in private city flats.

Following on from 2010, the biennale will take place in varying locations in North Rhine-Westphalia.