Lumiere Toronto

Lumiere, a lighting of the night.

Lumiere, a lighting of our imagination.

Lumiere, a lighting of the spring season.

Lumiere, a lighting of our renewal with friends.

Lumiere is an annual illuminated outdoor art show in Toronto, Ontario. This year the event took place at Trillium Park, adjacent to Ontario Place Park. Sixteen free standing designs were on display, some of which welcomed direct input from visitors. Visitors were to interpret and interact with select pieces to make each one a one-of-a-kind personalized viewing. Audiences provided sensory inputs resulting in varied outcomes from the installation.

Having arrived before sunset, I was skeptical about the darkness levels that could be achieved so close to the big city lights. The Toronto skyline was within 3 kilometers from Trillium Park. I could see the Toronto skyscraper lights. To my surprise the park did become dark after sunset. Had I not arrived before sunset when I could see the park layout, I may have had trouble staying on the designated path. It was only later; I realized a few things were contributing to the darkening effect. For one, the park staff shut off the overhead pathway lights. In several areas of the park, the land sloped upwards, and trees provided visual separation from the city. Lastly, Lake Ontario, rendered in total darkness, flanked the entire south side of the park.

In the spirit of the show, we interacted with each display seeking to understand the artist’s vision. In the following few paragraphs, I have commented on a some of the stops we made. Mentioning all sixteen would be too repetitive. At the end of this post, I inserted a link to Lumiere you can follow and read about all the displays in greater detail.

The Fantastical Book

A single passage can change our outlook. It can provide a renewed sense of importance and motivate our minds to effectively consider our life decisions. A short set of words can enlighten us and let us see how we all matter. Recently, I came to read these words,

“Never be limited by the small dreams other people have for you.”

Bernadette Jiwa

The Light Within

Courtesy: Lumiere: the Art of Light

We stood in front of a wall of ping pong ball sized white pixels. A camera captured our luminosity and fed back our image making the pixels switch colours. With finger operated controls, we fine-tuned our portrait. For a few seconds we saw our bright inner personalities.

The Numerology of Mushrooms

A magical astrological mushroom ride of light and numbers. Whoa, isn’t that a lot to ask from mushrooms? I guess it depends on your state of mind. Instructions at the exhibit welcomed us to sit on the tree stump at the center of the mushroom patch. As observed in nature, mushrooms are connected to trees through underground threads. Using a meditative process, we were to meditate on each mushroom and after completing the circle of mushrooms a sensation of renewal and enlightenment could now flow through our beings.

Bonfires

Though we visited Lumiere during the later weeks of the March 10^th to May 7^th event, it continued to be a well-attended. A family friendly festive vibe shone all night. In the later hours of the evening, participants seeking warmth gathered around open bonfires located near the lake. Flickering yellow flames lit our faces while discussing favourite Lumiere experiences while eating snacks we carried in.

The Biggest Lights

Later, we took a path leading us to views of the Toronto skyline. We were in darkness but out there the city was alight. Down at the water’s edge, we heard blurry voices. People were sitting on large boulders positioned to protect the shoreline. They too were appreciating the magnificent views. The gentle sound of waves slapping against the boulders and the sky composing a starlit umbrella above, topped off our evening. It was time to go home.

Lumiere: The Art of Light