Collected Light To celebrate the launch of the book Collected Light: Women Light Artists, Light Collective and formalighting hosted an intimate exhibition at London’s SoShiro gallery, showcasing the work of six female artists.
In celebration of the launch of the book, Collected Light: Women Light Artists, an intimate exhibition of the same name was held at the boutique SoShiro gallery in London, with the support of formalighting. Collected Light comprised of six artworks created by six different female artists and featured a range of mediums, from neon to projection. The exhibition was curated by Light Collective, also authors of the book, and included talks with each of the artists, and the gift for every attendee of a limited edition, signed and numbered copy of Collected Light Volume One: Women Light Artists, courtesy of formalighting. The artworks on show included In Lucem (2019) by Tamar Frank (NL). A series of 20 small light panels – four of which were on display at this exhibition – illustrate a seemingly still image with a central focus that gradually blends into 20 different colour compositions. The colour gradients are inspired by the changes in natural light over the course of one day and change very slowly so that the transition itself is not perceived. The artwork is a response to the perception of light as a natural presence. The central focus invites the spectator to slow down and allow the light to draw the viewer in. Also on show was Peacock (2020) by Chila Singh Burman (UK). Burman is celebrated for her radical feminist practice, which examines representation, gender, and cultural identity. Peacock was part of the hugely popular neon installation on the exterior of the Tate Britain, Remembering A Brave New World in 2020. Another installation displayed was Halo (2019) by Karolina Halatek (PL). The circular-shaped immersive installation is designed to draw out a very personal experience. Visitors interacting with the work have the possibility of discovering a new dimension of their own presence in the contemplative, pure, and abstract environment. The title, Halo refers to the natural optical phenomena seen around the sun or moon, produced by light in the interaction of ice crystals. The place of the celestial body is given to the art viewer, who becomes a central part of the piece. Halatek is a Polish artist who uses light as a catalyst for experience. The Lost Girl (2020) by Kate McMillan (UK/AU) is an immersive film-based installation centred around the fictional character of a cave-dwelling girl on the east coast of England. Using DH Lawrence’s book of the same name as a starting point, the film narrates the experiences of a young woman seemingly alone in a dystopian future, with only the debris washed up from the ocean to form meaning and language. The film combines McMillan’s various research interests, including 034 / 035
the Anthropocene; the role of creativity in forming memory and the consequences of neglecting female histories. McMillan is based in London and is the author of the annual report Representation of Female Artists in Britain commissioned by the Freelands Foundation. The Off Grid Series (2022) by Jacqueline Hen (DE) investigates the perception of the body in space in the face of the digital realm. How is social media influencing our perception and interaction with the physical space? Mirrors and a carefully designed and constructed grid of light create the illusion of an infinite space of luminosity and darkness. The perception of this space changes with the viewer’s perspective inviting them to investigate their self within infinity. The final installation was Stardust - The Deep Field (Lenticular) (2018) by Lauren Baker (UK) – a six-image lenticular backed by an LED light box, described by Baker as depicting ‘a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter’. Because of the way the lenticular lenses shift how the images are perceived, moving past the artwork brings it to life: suggesting a celestial dance of explosion and implosion, separation and unison, change and repetition. The artwork depicts a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter, inspired by the findings of the Hubble telescope. As people walk past, six images appear and merge into one another from different angles, creating a moving image of an exploding star. The SoShiro gallery was also illuminated by a range of motorised luminaires from the formalighting MotoLux range. These served to enhance the visitor experience with the Moto-JoJo pendant on the first landing being a particularly popular attraction as it created a mesmerising and relaxing effect illuminating the niche, sculptural planters and planting in an array of colours and shade. In 2019, Light Collective started the global project, Women in Lighting, also supported by formalighting, creating a huge community and network of women around the world working with light. Collected Light is part of the project and the start of the creation of a permanent collection made up solely of women light artists. The Women in Lighting project inspired Light Collective to look at all aspects of representation in the field of light. They found and researched more than 150 women creating light-based art, which led to the curation of the book. The book is a small step towards trying to redress the unfair imbalance in visibility of women light artists. www.lightcollective.net