This year's Zsolnay Light Art competition will focus on the slogan "no//body."Continue reading
One of Pécs’ most popular events, the Zsolnay Light Festival, famous for its spectacular public building paintings and light painting competition, kicks off on Thursday. This time, in addition to downtown locations, programs will also be offered in the local cultural quarter.
The organizer, Zsolnay Örökségkezelő Non-profit company, said in a statement that the light festival, held between July 3 and 6, has long been about more than just light painting and light installations.
This year, spectacular street theater productions, new circus performances, pulsating rhythms, and exciting, light-inspired creative workshops await visitors in the city center.
Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
As the festival opens, the Spanish percussion group Brincadeira will set the mood with their lively rhythms and energy on Thursday and Friday at Széchenyi Square. Their performance is not only a musical but also a visual experience: they thrill the audience with precise choreography, energetic movement, and dynamic light effects. On Saturday, the Solar Eclipse team will dazzle the audience with a special LED show: a meeting of lights, dance, and dynamics in a fast-paced, modern performance.
On Sunday, the Mexican group Alkimia will combine fire and LED visuals, while also drawing on ritual movement culture and symbol systems. The performance is both a fiery ritual and contemporary circus art: a hypnotic blend of body, light, and fire.
The performance by Duo Laos from Argentina will be a passionate combination of partner acrobatics, tango, humor, and ballet. Muraya’s production Mama Octopus will be both entertaining and thought-provoking, exploring the challenges of motherhood with humor and irony. Spain’s Nacho Rey presents a sensitive, acrobatic performance about empathy, forgotten dignity, and people living on the margins of society.
The Barbakán moat will be the scene of “red-hot experiences,” where fire jugglers and acrobats will dazzle the audience.
Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
In the Light Workshop, visitors can experiment with different artistic approaches to light and its creative use, whether it be henna, cyanotype, silk painting, or even making their own illuminated origami.
From glowing beetles to ornate stained glass windows, visitors can create a myriad of wonders with the help of professional instructors at a total of four locations.
Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
The festival’s music program is also characterized by variety and dynamism. The clubs in the city center will offer exciting treats every day, and the musical highlight of the festival will be Flipside’s Tettye Open Air event with performances by Óperentzia and Balázs Zságer on Saturday night at Tettye Katlan.
The usual elements will remain this year: the Zsolnay Light Art light painting competition will be held, with animations projected onto the facade of the Pécs Cathedral.
This year, Hungarian, Czech, Polish, and Bulgarian artists will compete, reflecting on the theme of “no//body” with their creations.
At this year’s festival, visitors can once again explore the sights of downtown Pécs along the Route of Light, where a love story will come to life on the facade of the city’s oldest residential building in an animation by Italian video mapping artist Francesca Maccio.
Light painting in one of Hungary’s best preserved Ottoman architectural monuments, the Mosque of Pasha Qasim, at last year’s Zsolnay Light Festival. Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
Artwork from last year’s Zsolnay Light Art video mapping competition at Dóm Square. Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
The festival’s programs and the attractions presented in public spaces along the Route of Light can be visited free of charge, while those in closed spaces can be viewed by purchasing a wristband.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Ruprech Judit