Illuminating Oxford: The Diverse World, 2019
In 2019, Oxford's annual festival embraced the theme of "Discovery," drawing inspiration from scientific breakthroughs and the monumental 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. The festivities unfolded at key locations, including the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and the Bodleian Libraries, offering a unique, free, and accessible experience for all.
Natural Wonders at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum
The artwork showcased at these museums celebrated the incredible diversity of the natural world and its inhabitants. From the street outside the museums, passers-by were treated to a visual feast that brought the wonders of nature to life.
Space: God, the Universe and Everything at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Marking fifty years since humans landed on the moon, the University Church presented a mesmerising visual spectacle inspired by the historic 1969 moon landing. Inside the church, son et lumiere, sound, and light-based art installations transformed the space, creating a captivating experience. Watch here.
Talking Maps Light Show at the Bodleian Libraries Old School Quadrangle
The Talking Maps Light Show returned to the Old School Quadrangle of the Bodleian Library for Illuminating Oxford. Using cutting-edge digital techniques, stunning images from the Bodleian Library’s exhibition Talking Maps were projected onto Oxford’s iconic architecture, turning this picturesque corner into a breathtaking light show.
Hidden Treasures Revealed
Sculptor Peter Walker and local composer David Harper, part of the artist collective Luxmuralis, collaborated with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum, University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and Bodleian Libraries to unveil hidden collections, research, and archives. Over two nights, their magnificent artworks were projected onto some of Oxford's most iconic buildings, providing a visual spectacle for all to enjoy. Watch here and here.
This Diverse World at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum
Luxmuralis joined forces with Beyond the Binary, community groups, and artists to offer a fresh perspective on the Museums' collections. The artwork celebrated the incredible diversity of the natural world and its inhabitants, inviting everyone to witness this unique, free, and accessible encounter from the street outside the museum. Watch here.
Overview:
Starting in 2015, each year as part of Oxford’s Light Festival, Fusion Arts works with artist collective Luxmuralis alongside an ever-increasing consortium of institutional partners (now Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum, the Bodleian Libraries / Radcliffe Camera, University Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Museum, the History of Science Museum) and numerous community groups (including Multaka-Oxford, Oxford’s Windrush communities and LGBTQ+ groups) to produce a series of inspiring son et lumière displays; light and sound spectacles that illuminate the outside of some of Oxford's most iconic buildings and bring community stories and the partner institutions' collections to life. These shows are free and accessible to all.
The project seeks to literally illuminate the museums’ collections and archives for the public to admire, bringing hidden collections into the public domain in the form of colourful light designs projected onto the museum's facades. In preparation for the events, Luxmuralis has worked closely with Multaka-Oxford to identify what parts of the hidden collections to choose and determine which were of greatest significance to them. The objects chosen were brought to life through the light show, prompting the viewers to consider the modern and historical research concerns they raise.
Other works by Luxmuralis include: Poppy Field which toured Cathedrals around the UK; Lichtfestival in Limburg Germany; Earth What a Wonderful World, Lichfield Cathedral; The Maker of Middle Earth, Bodleian Libraries. Their portfolio, which includes a plethora of other light and sound events across the UK and abroad can be found here.
