Lichtparcours 2024
It’s getting dark earlier again. I had just seemed to get used to the long evenings, and now they’re over again. However, this means that this year’s light trail can be planned earlier. On a very mild (still-) summer day, it begins at 7:30 pm in the Bürgerpark. Twilight has just set in. It is already dim enough to admire the first installation, “Red Light” by Jan Philip Scheibe, at the end of the Münzgraben. According to the description, the artist created the piece as a tribute to the red-light district in Bruchstraße.
Slow Swan Social Club
Not far from there, on the pond in front of the portico, two plastic swans are circling. They fare like the two royal children who cannot be together. One is white, the other is pink. Alona Rodeh named her artwork “Slow Swan Social Club.” The portico in the background is not yet relevant at this time of day. It’s still too bright for the gentle beam of light that is supposed to illuminate the gray stones. Well, as aesthetically pleasing as the two swan pedal boats are, I wouldn’t want to trade places with them.
Swarm
We move on and come across Bettina Pousttchi’s “Swarm.” You can see a few green traffic lights that are interlocked with each other. A little further down the Oker River, in the direction of the Steigenberger Hotel, its “red” counterpart hovers over the water. Despite the explanation, I don’t quite grasp the meaning of this work.
Full Moon
The “Full Moon” made of recycled plastic seems more understandable to me. The artist collective Luzinterruptus created this ball hanging from a crane, which is probably also meant to remind us of how much waste is produced every day and where it actually ends up. A topic that concerns everyone and perhaps lies within our collective responsibility, but (still) is not anchored in the collective memory.
Assembly
We leave the Bürgerpark and make our way to the Oker Island. With “Assembly,” the Italian artist Marinella Senatore has created a work that not only fits well with the current time but also with this exposed location. The phrase “We rise by lifting others” makes me reflective. It’s about putting others in the spotlight, not oneself. A statement that has a lot of power but runs counter to the individualization and self-importance that social media promotes. We become better (people) by doing good for others. A sentence attributed to Robert Ingersoll. The idea is that our own growth and success are tied to how we support the people around us. A beautiful notion, but does it remain an ideal?
No Entry
Green construction site lights and a fence represent the installation “No Entry” by the Institute for Architecture-Related Art of the TU Braunschweig. The object symbolizes the scarcity of drinking water. To me, it feels different. Yes, like a restricted area, but it also evokes memories of a border fence. And when I think of border fences, I think of people who are not allowed to cross them. And of lights that illuminate borders — in an uncomfortable and shameful way.
Hit&Run Lovers
At the end of the tour, we stand in front of the Rosental Bridge. “Hit&Run Lovers” is emblazoned in neon colors on the bridge structure. Of course, there is an explanation for this work too, but here I also openly admit that I don’t really understand this installation. “Hit&Run Lovers,” forgive me, somehow reminds me of the movie “Runaway Bride.”
I don’t have the energy for any more artworks today. Even if the explanations for the artworks do not always make sense to me, the light trail is still a wonderful idea. The city as an open-air cinema, art that draws me outside and turns a mild summer evening into a special one.
