LUCE estratti LUCE 319_Ferrari_La magia di Lione | Page 7

Évolutions. Yann Nguema e / and Ez3kiel
The magic of Lyon
For three nights, the international capital of light
E
xciting, entertaining, astonishing: the 2016
edition of the Fête des Lumières in Lyon
has once again satisfied the expectations and
confirmed its being one of the most appealing
events in the European lighting world.
Following the 2015 halt – a painful decision
after the bloody terrorist attacks of November
13 in Paris –, the city stood up and once again
managed to draw the attention of millions
of people during the feast of the Immaculate
Conception. The happy and joyful atmosphere
of the event has not been dampened by the
tight security measures, the police cordons,
and the military at every corner. The old town
has been literally flooded by a river of people
made of smiling young, couples, families
with children, local elderly and tourists from
all over the world. The streets and bridges
of the Presq’île have been turned into a large
pedestrian area, where everyone could admire
the light installations, plunging in this magical
atmosphere with a childlike heart, and fighting
the chill with a glass of vin chaud. Strolling
through the narrow streets of the Vieux Lyon,
walking in the large squares and boulevards,
visitors were involved in a parallel and surreal
world made of different sounds, colours,
and visual stimuli at every corner. Palaces,
churches, parks, courtyards... For three nights
– December 8, 9 and 10, from 8.00 pm to
midnight –, everything has been redesigned
by the artistic interventions that created
new perspectives and visionary views.
However, the Fête des Lumières has a quite
different origin, far from the choreographic
event that it has nowadays become. Back
in the nineteenth century, in the evening
of the Immaculate Conception, the local
inhabitants honoured the Virgin of Fouvriére
– worshiped in the Cathedral on the
homonymous hill overlooking the heart of Lyon
– by decorating their windows and balconies
with candles. For ten years now, this custom
has been turned into a real “urban
celebration.” There are still candles on the
houses, but the heart of the show is now the
tailor-made work of designers, architects,
filmmakers and creative. The works, which
SPECIAL REPORT / LUCE 319
103