The seven portals of urban development – The “LIGHT OUR VISION” Festival of Light Art as part of Chemnitz’s year as the European Capital of Culture 2025

Chemnitz’s “Light our Vision” (LOV) Festival of Light Art will take place for the third time in 2025. International artists will be unveiling their work in the city centre from 24 to 27 September. Nine locations around the inner city will be part of the route, including the Roter Turm, the Opera House, Schillerpark and part of the Aktienspinnerei.

This year, Marienplatz takes centre stage. Six light portals will transform the previously neglected location into a centre of artistic visions. The installations were created by Bremen artist Till Botterweck and his team from URBANSCREEN, drawing on voices from around the city. Children, urban planners, cultural professionals, passers-by and architecture students were all interviewed before the creation got underway. Their ideas and visions will be made audible and visible in the portals, with artificial intelligence translating the results into light art.

Artist Till Botterweck:
“The voices of the people in Chemnitz form the foundations of our work. Turning their ideas into an artistic light installation is an exciting, and at the same time very personal, process.”

The Festival is not just about showcasing art. It sees itself as a driving force for urban development. Light should not only make places visible, but also encourage good design. The organisers state that a key element of the works is to invite people to actively engage with the future of the city.

Lotte Claudia Fischer, Chair of Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V.:
“With the Festival, we’re showing how light can make hidden spaces visible. Our aim is to awaken potential and encourage people to take new steps in urban development.”

The student architecture competition will also come to a conclusion during the Festival. 76 students from 11 colleges and universities in eight German states submitted a total of 38 designs. The theme was “Chemnitz inside: upgrade + connect”, and again, the focus was also on Marienplatz. The competition was organised by the Saxony Chamber of Architects and supported by Baukultur für Chemnitz e.V. and the Association of German Architects.

The expert panel will be awarding prizes for outstanding work. A people’s choice award will also be presented. Since 13 September, local residents have been able to vote in an exhibition at Open Space Chemnitz and online. This actively involves the public in assessing the ideas. The award ceremony will take place on Saturday 27 September.

The organisers see the Festival as more than just an art show. It is about civic participation and the question of how light as a medium can make a city’s development visible and mouldable. “Light our Vision” combines artistic approaches with citizen participation and new technologies.