Art lights up the skies over the Hudson

The artist Melissa McGill will illuminate the sky over Pollepel Island in the Hudson River, New York, which is home to the ruins of Bannerman Castle. It is part of her sculptural light installation, Constellation, which begins on 28 June and is scheduled to last for two years. As the sun sets each evening 17 solar-powered LED lights, mounted on poles ranging from 40ft to 80ft in height, will gradually light up alongside the Scottish-style castle, which dates back to 1901. McGill, who lives nearby in Beacon, New York, says the installation stems from a long fascination with the mysterious island. The artist says that, after looking into its history, “I was moved to create a project that continues my work exploring the space between absence and presence, bringing to light the overlooked, hidden or lost aspects of architecture, found objects and places.”