Winter Lights festival returns to Canary Wharf with 22 immersive artworks
Highlights include a floating earth, life-sized mammoths and a fiber optic light tunnel
Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights festival has returned to London, bringing with it 22 spectacular light installations to help beat the January blues and brighten up the dark winter evenings.
Returning after a two-year hiatus, the exhibition will be open to visitors until Saturday 28th January and is London’s largest free to attend light display.
Visitors can walk the trail of unique and mesmerizing installations, which includes nine pieces never previously displayed in the UK, whilst taking the time to reflect upon this year’s topical themes of togetherness, climate-change and the transfer of data in the modern world.
The collection of pieces from some of the most talented and innovative international artists, celebrate the simple pleasures of playfulness, beauty and whimsy.
Key works include Floating Earth - a magical globe by esteemed artist Luke Jerram - which will float in the water of Middle Dock. Wood Wharf, Anima by ELISAVA is an immersive tunnel of fibre-optic lights which represents our data-driven world.
Tom Lambert's work Out of the Dark is a multi-sensory, audio-visual installation which provides space for self-reflection; whilst artist Fisheye displays Permafrost – Sleeping Giants, a riverside resurrection of three, ancient, life-sized, mammoths animated through light.
The festival also has pop-up food trucks serving street food and hot drinks.
Pippa Dale, Senior Arts & Events Manager at Canary Wharf Group comments:
“As one of Canary Wharf’s most popular calendar moments, this year is the seventh instalment of Winter Lights and features works which centre around the topical themes of togetherness, climate change and the transfer of data.
"We’re delighted to welcome 22 fantastic artworks which will transform the extraordinary backdrop of Canary Wharf.”
Winter Lights forms part of Canary Wharf Group’s wider arts and events programme which makes art accessible to all and encompasses London’s largest free to visit public art collection which features over 100 art pieces across the Estate year-round.
The Ice Rink in Canada Square Park also remains open until 25th February for visitors - with a roof for all weather skating.
Winter Lights is free to attend and visitors can download the map via the Canary Wharf App or website to guide them through the trail or pick one up from a Canary Wharf steward.
Installations are open from 5pm–10pm and it is recommended that visitors wrap up warm and visit outside peak times (6-8pm) on weekends and evenings, where possible.