By John Baron
A colourful and atmospheric art installation is making a splash at Bramley Baths as part of the annual Light Night 2022 celebrations.
Light Night sees Leeds city centre streets turned into an optical extravaganza with art installations drawing thousands of people to the UK’s largest annual light festival.
Historic Bramley Baths is putting on two sold out events tonight and tomorrow (Friday) which will transform the Baths into a ‘painting you can swim in’.
Artist Tine Bech is the driving force behind the event. Originally from Denmark, she said she aimed to create a ‘membrane’ of colour and atmosphere around the pool for people to experience.
Inspired by Rothco’s paintings, the immersive light installation allows swimmers to experience a swim like no other as an other-wordly cloud of colour and light hovers over the waters of the pool, creating an ever changing and surreal environment as you move through the water.
“It’s an inspiring mix of ideas,” she said of the installation. “I really like swimming pools and the freedom of swimming, and I have good memories of my childhood when I’d jump in to the water and make it splash. I’m hoping to recreate that membrane of water from when you first jump in.
“I hope the people get the same joy and experience as I had when I was younger, but in a visual way. A splash of colour, if you like.”
Tine successfully ran her installation at a pool in Gloucester and as part of the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London and Oxford.
She said the team at community led Bramley Baths had been a joy to work with and added: “Bramley Baths is unique and it’s such a busy and beautiful place. You are lucky to have such a beautiful pool, there aren’t many places like this left and they are our heritage. You should love your swimming pools and make more of them.”
What is Leeds Light Night 2022?
Light Night Leeds 2022 will begin on Thursday, October 13 and end on Friday, October 14. This year it also features an event at Left Bank, on Cardigan Road in Burley.
This event, running 6pm-10pm each night, is a unique illuminated play session on the incredible, inflatable sculpture, Heaven.
Heaven was co-created by artist Pippa Hale and local families as we emerged from the pandemic in 2021. Disco lights and the ultimate party soundtrack hosted by Party People Project, who work with adults with learning difficulties, will create a spectacular multi-sensory environment for playful bouncing and dancing.
The historic face of Leeds Civic Hall will be transformed into an incredible retro video game.
Using the latest projection mapping technology, artists Focal Studios will combine past and future when they bring their creation LUX to the iconic building on Millennium Square in what the artists say will be Europe’s biggest ever interactive projection.
Using a special control pod inspired by classic 80s sci-fi and retro-futuristic games, players will use contactless gestures to guide a digital ball around the face of the civic hall.
LUX will be among 50 illuminated installations which will take over famous locations and spaces in the city centre for the 18th edition of Light Night Leeds, which this year has the theme of Playful City.
For more details, visit the Light Night website and follow Light Night Leeds on social media.
Wow! What more can I say?!