LOV SpotLIGHT Programme 2026
From 17 to 19 September 2026, 7.30 pm – 11.00 pm, ‘LOV spotLIGHT’ once again transformed Chemnitz city centre into an open-air stage – for the fourth year running and during Chemnitz’s year as European Capital of Culture.
This time, the focus was on the Hotel Kongress, the city’s tallest building. The façade of this building – which has stood empty since January – became the largest interactive play area in the state. Classic games such as Snake and Pac-Man were played by the audience.
This year’s three-day event thus explored an approach to engaging with urban landmarks that have lost their function through a playful and artistic lens. Through simultaneous light art installations at central squares and buildings in Chemnitz, such as Düsseldorfer Platz, Jacobikirchplatz and the Alte Post, the city centre was once again transformed this year into a space for experiencing light art.
Locations
Locations and artists
LOV-Projekt
Partner-Projekt
1. Stadthalle Congress Centre Park / Hotel Congress
Love Pong – Interactive Facade Experience
Retro gaming meets XXL architecture. An interactive façade experience combining projection mapping, arcade gaming, live sound and collaborative play.
Under the theme of ‘Love’, Christopher Paul (ChridArts), Michael Thomas, Florian Wilke and the team at Element V are transforming the Kongresshotel into a huge, interactive gaming area stretching some 97 metres. Four bespoke arcade controllers, situated right in Stadthallenpark, invite visitors to come together and experience retro classics in a whole new way. At stations throughout Stadthallenpark, visitors can play classic games such as Snake, Pac-Man or a Tetris-style game, the progress of which will then be displayed on the façade facing Stadthallenpark.
The event deliberately breaks with the digital isolation of everyday life and brings a sense of togetherness back into the public space. Instead of staring silently at their smartphones, people here come together, cheer each other on, celebrate together and, through direct interaction, experience a genuine, analogue sense of community. When the façade
glows with state-of-the-art projection technology and pulses in time with the crowd, the boundaries between spectators and participants blur into a single, unified whole. An emotional and artistic statement for the urban community.
Who’s the artist? Christopher Paul (ChridArts), Michael Thomas and the Team von Element V (D)
Spieleentwicklung Michael Thomas — jiaqual.com | Instagram: @jiaqual.art
Hauptkünstler & Technische Leitung Peer Tritz / NDAV — Technische Leitung & Geschäftsführer Element V
Programmierung & Technische Umsetzung
Element V — element-v.net | Instagram: @element.v_berlin
Visuals, 3D VFX, Projektmanagement & Audio-Reaktive Visuals
ChridArts (Christopher-Daniel Paul) — elementv.net | Instagram: @chridarts mapping
Supporting Artists
- PiratePixie — Instagram: @pirate_pixie_
- Odd Reality — Instagram: @odd_reality_immersive
- John Tettenborn — Visual Artist / 3D Modell — Website: johntettenborn.com
Lighting by:
2. Johannisplatz (Johannis Square)
Brocken 5
A walk-in metal cube, pierced by over 50,000 hand-drilled holes, recreates the “Brocken effect” — the mountain phenomenon where your own shadow appears haloed in light. Step inside and gravity loosens its grip: pinpoints of light become a boundless night sky. A quiet, contemplative flight embodying ma, the Japanese space between things – a sanctuary of stillness amid the festival buzz.
Who’s the artist? Yasuhiro Chida (JPN)
Born in 1977 in Kanagawa, Japan, Yasuhiro Chida studied architecture before channeling his passion for extreme caving and high-altitude mountaineering into immersive light art. Named one of Artdex’s “Nine Outstanding Light Artists in the World” alongside Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, his global installations explore spatial awareness and human perception. Through subtle plays of light and void, Chida transforms physical structures into quiet sanctuaries of stillness and wonder.
Lighting by:
3. Fontain in Stadthallenpark (Stadthalle Congress Centre Park)
Beanstalk Shoot
Something unexpected is sprouting from the ground in Chemnitz — has the local groundwater gone rogue, or is the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk finally coming true? Best observed from a safe distance, before the authorities come to investigate. One of the UK duo’s most photographed works, striking by day or night.
Who’s the artist? Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas (UK)
Luke Egan and Pete Hamilton (operating as Designs in Air) are an acclaimed UK urban art duo who emerged from the Bristol street art scene in the 1990s. Internationally renowned for their massive, whimsical inflatable sculptures, their work disrupts everyday streetscapes with playful, surreal interventions. The duo describes their art as a joyful “vendetta against the mundane, concrete world.”
4. Am Wall (On the Ramparts)
Pig Farm
A herd of glowing pigs, built from upcycled water barrels and mounted on industrial springs, invite riders to hop on and set them swaying. Tap a pig’s back and its glow shifts from white to pink. Equal parts playground and circular-economy statement, Pig Farm turns industrial waste into an installation families can’t resist climbing.
Who’s the artist? Sutnarka (CZ)
Sutnarka represents the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Pig Farm was created by students from the Industrial Design studio under the guidance of designer Jan Korabečný. Combining hands-on craft with modern design thinking, the faculty empowers emerging artists to reimagine everyday materials into functional, engaging public art.
5. Düsseldorfer Platz (Düsseldorfer Square)
NAIRA – Laser-Mapping Show
The large-scale audiovisual show explores the transformation of nature into urban fabric and seeks harmony between the organic and man-made worlds. Light, sound and architecture gradually intertwine, connecting seemingly contradictory principles into one vibrant living whole.
Who’s the artist? Laserman CZ (CZ)
Drawing on over 20 years of experience, Laserman CZ is a Czech pioneer in large-scale laser mapping, custom light performances, and interactive audiovisual shows. Their portfolio spans high-precision laser dance acts, architectural projections, and immersive festival spectacles. By fusing cutting-edge photonics with dramatic storytelling, they turn urban backdrops into captivating moments of awe.
Lighting by:
6. Jakobikirchplatz & Rathaus (St James’s Church Square & Town Hall)
Lightspray Visual (HU)
When historic façades become vibrant visual spectacles: Lightspray Visual transforms Jakobikirche and the Town Hall into mesmerising canvases of colour, movement and light. Using specially modified projectors and in-house developed mechanical systems, the team creates analogue light images that bring the architecture to life.
Who’s the artist? Lightspray Visual (HU)
Lightspray Visual is a Hungarian art collective that has been projecting monumental surfaces with colorful, custom illustrations using modified overhead projectors since 2010. With our self-developed moving systems, we create living, kinetic visual worlds where the projector itself becomes part of the installation. Our works are fully suited to the location and theme, offering unique analog and hybrid light experiences.
Lighting by:
7. Labyrinth of Lights (18. and 19. September)
Sächsische Mozart-Gesellschaft e.V.
… a path illuminated by candlelight, combining silence with music to create a sense of peace and mindfulness in our relationships with each other and towards nature.
Light as a symbol of life and guidance – the fundamental essence of the Labyrinth of Lights. Over 4,000 tealights in sand-filled paper bags form a path on which guests can walk from the outside in and back again – focused, invigorated, perhaps transformed.
This takes place in silence or with soft music. On Friday, the light labyrinth will be accompanied by music from Stefan Weyh (harp), Mathis Stendike (guitar, percussion), Florian Patschinsky (electric piano) and Marie Patschinsky (vocals). On Saturday, it will be a silent light labyrinth.
The Labyrinth of Light can only be created if many people work together. So we want to invite you to join us for this special experience of collective creation.
8. Alte Post (Old Post Office)
Demonz
Mischievous digital creatures tease the crowd from a giant screen — grab a ball and fight back. Every hit triggers bursts of light, colour and sound. Team up with friends and strangers alike to battle side by side. It turns architecture into a playground for both kids and adults. Because it’s never too grown-up to play.
Who’s the artist? INITI Interactive (CZ)
Founded in Prague by visual artist Dan Gregor and programmer Ondřej Průcha, INITI is an interdisciplinary Czech collective uniting artists, coders, and sound designers. Their site-specific projections and playful environments have featured at major international festivals, including Ars Electronica, Nuit Blanche Brussels, and Glow Eindhoven. By fusing visual mapping with responsive technology, INITI transforms real-world architecture into dynamic, illusionary playgrounds.
Lighting by:
ARTShifters (CZ)
(2,3,4,5,8)
ARTshifters is an international collective of artists, technical specialists, and cultural strategists dedicated to bringing public spaces to life. Operating from original light art installations to full-scale festival production and city celebrations, they co-develop site-specific projects through long-term global artist partnerships. Backed by a bulletproof technical crew, the team turns challenging environments—from historical alleys and open rivers to harsh Nordic winters and underground spaces—into extraordinary, light-filled experiences.
LOV Archive
Programme 2025
The third edition of the ‘Light our Vision’ Festival of Light Art in Chemnitz took place from 24 to 27 September 2025.
Programme 2024
The second edition of the ‘Light our Vision’ Festival of Light Art in Chemnitz took place from 25 to 28 September 2024.