Zagreb’s most visually striking festival of the year is now underway, and will be running until Sunday, March 24. With 29 installations and projections throughout the city, it might be daunting to try and find the time to catch them all. With that in mind, here are five of the absolute highlights from this year’s Festival of Lights.
AI Parasite (Trg Mažuranića)
Conceived as a visual representation of the huge amounts of data that we are fed daily, as well as the material we feed back into the digital cloud, this cube-shaped installation is simple but effective. Intriguing from both outside and within, here a lightly throbbing electronic soundtrack matches the pulsing of multicoloured light coursing through bending pipes that tangle into and outside of the structure. These represent the incomprehensible scale of information, creating the sense that visitors are looking right into the heart of the digital beast.
Fluorescence (by Kino Tuškanac)
This simple but serene installation is accompanied by a gentle, meditative soundtrack. Little lamps throughout a sloped park slowly change colours, shifting slowly between red and blue on the spectrum, representing nature’s unique and steady rhythm of constant cyclical change. An excellent spot to catch a breather, enjoy the pretty colours, and walk amid the lamplight.
In the Clouds (Trg Mažuranića)
The most interactive attraction on this list, it’s only about 30 metres from the AI Parasite (see above). A ring of swings, with their seats and handles illuminated white and beneath little clouds made of flexible tubing, this creation attracted broad interest and enjoyment. Couples, friends and families all took turns on the swings, accompanied by a soft soundtrack to make the experience feel just like being a kid again.
Meteorites (Tuškanac forest park)
Four rock sculptures, all split into two and connected by a strong blue beam of light, glow powerfully creating the illusion of some alien hatchling about to emerge – explaining, perhaps, the name of the piece. Surrounded by benches and an attractive photo opportunity, this one is entrancing in its simplicity.
The Secret Life of Forests (Tuškanac forest park)
Undeniably the pinnacle of this year’s festival, standing head and shoulders above the rest, this walk through the Tuškanac forest park is downright magical. A sometimes serene, sometimes rousing musical accompaniment augments the breathtaking atmosphere created by the lights. LED rings around tree trunks in shades of purple, blue and pink, punctuated by little lamps emerging from the grass, as well as beams jutting from the ground, foster a peaceful and immersive experience, made all the more mystical by the occasional burst from fog machines. The installation is conceived as an imagined alien-world forest, and the illusion is achieved beautifully. If there is only one part of the festival you can see, make sure it’s this one.
Festival of Lights, Zagreb, until March 24. Admission free.