Chemnitz Festival of Light Art to blend public voices with AI in 2025

This year’s third edition of the Chemnitz Festival of Light Art is set to combine public participation and AI for the first time. Children, urban planners, cultural professionals, the general public and architecture students were all surveyed about their visions for Chemnitz’s urban development earlier in the year. The results and their ideas will be presented in six portals on Marienplatz – a previously neglected area behind the office complex known as the “Parteifalte” – and translated into light art with the help of AI. The artistic line-up for this year’s “Light our Vision” (LOV) festival is once again world-class and international. Works by artists from Indonesia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy and Germany will be on display around Chemnitz city centre.

Summary:

    • Previously neglected Marienplatz becomes the beating heart of light art visions

    • International artists will present their works in Chemnitz from 24 to 27 September 2025

    • Light art route leads to nine locations in Chemnitz city centre

    • More than just art: “Light our Vision” (LOV) highlights ideas for urban development and redevelopment

    • Student architecture competition concludes with award ceremony

“Light our Vision” (LOV) has a long-term approach that makes it unique among light art festivals in Germany. Suggestions drawn from the festival have an influence on urban planning proposals and projects. A student architecture competition – the award ceremony for which will take place as part of “Light our Vision” (LOV) – is one aspect of this. The competition was organised by the Saxony Chamber of Architects and Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V.  The latter is also the initiator and organiser of “Light our Vision” (LOV).

Lotte Claudia Fischer, Chair of Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V., explains: “This year’s theme of LICHT.MACHT.PLATZ. (LIGHT.MAKES.SPACE) represents our intentions for Light our Vision. We want to use light art to show what potential still lies in this city and uncover hidden urban planning gems. Marienplatz is both a symbol and an example of this. As the centrepiece of the Festival, it restores the former axis between the Town Hall and Theaterplatz.”

The organisers received almost one hundred spectacular submissions from around the world for this year’s Festival of Light Art. Over the past few months, these have been whittled down to the nine works that will now be on display in Chemnitz from 24 to 27 September 2025.

Linda Hüttner, Deputy Chair of Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V. adds: “Light as an art form is a wonderful means of visualising and stimulating ideas, bringing them out of our minds and into the world. Light not only creates space, but also encourages design and action. This is the third year we have been generating positive momentum for social participation in urban development through Light our Vision.”

Till Botterweck from URBANSCREEN in Bremen will be creating the central works this year with six light portals on Marienplatz. Each of these has its own focus. Children, urban planners, cultural professionals, the general public and architecture students were all surveyed about their visions for Chemnitz’s urban development earlier in the year. Their visions will be heard in these portals and translated into light art with the help of AI.

Till Botterweck explains: “It is a marvellous task to revitalise this special, but somehow also forgotten place in Chemnitz with the voices and ideas of its residents. The portals each represent their own thematic view of the city and what people want from it. Children in particular come up with fantastic images that can now inspire others through our light installations. For us, Chemnitz is a melting pot of exciting visions for urban development.”

The student architecture competition will also come to an end with an award ceremony during “Light our Vision” (LOV). The first European Architecture Competition for Students to be held in Chemnitz saw 76 students from 11 colleges and universities in 8 German states submit a total of 38 creative and, in some cases, pioneering designs. 

The submissions sent out a strong signal for up-and-coming architects and the urban planning discourse, right in the middle of Chemnitz’s year as the European Capital of Culture. With its theme of “Chemnitz inside: upgrade + connect”, it too focused on Marienplatz. This centrally located and previously neglected urban space behind the Karl Marx Monument is an area with high symbolic, urban planning and cultural potential. In addition to the prize awarded by a top-class judging panel, there will also be a People’s Choice Award.

Starting on 13 September 2025, residents will be able to vote for their favourite at the exhibition in Open Space Chemnitz and online at www.baukultur-chemnitz.de. The People’s Choice Award invites locals not only to marvel at the designs, but also to play an active role in shaping what resonates in their city. Anyone can vote – regardless of their level of architectural expertise.

he European Architecture Competition for Students was organised by the Saxony Chamber of Architects and is supported by the City of Chemnitz, Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V. and the Association of German Architects (BDA).

Press contact:

Arndt Hecker
+49 172 566 936 6
info@text-in-form.de

Press photo:

(from left) Mario Friedrich (Baukultur für Chemnitz e. V., Project Manager for the architecture competition), Linda Hüttner (Deputy Chair, Baukultur für Chemnitz e. V.), Till Botterweck (URBANSCREEN), Lotte Claudia Fischer (Chair, Baukultur für Chemnitz e. V.)

Source: (c) zebra | group/Luzie Carola Rietschel