Zachary Kerman/TPS
From Wednesday, June 28 to Thursday, July 6, the public was treated to the 9th Annual Jerusalem Light Festival, an extraordinary and magical event which brings together the rich atmosphere of Jerusalem with experimental light-based art.
Managed and produced by the Ariel Municipal Company, the festival, organized by the Jerusalem Development Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage and the Municipality of Jerusalem, marked the 50th anniversary of the city’s reunification. It was fitting, then, that thousands of individuals young and old, from near and far, flocked to Jerusalem to commemorate the occasion and witness the spectacular sights and sounds.
Consisting of approximately 40 exhibits constructed by artists hailing from around the globe, the Light Festival is renowned for sheer ambition: No two works of art are exactly alike, each providing its own distinctive “wow” factor that spectators can delight in.
For example, “Solaris” is a mapping projection devised by Polish art company Visualsupport. Located in Hurva Square, in the Jewish Quarter, it utilizes the history and architecture of the Hurva Synagogue to full effect, telling a breathtaking story to illustrate how time impacts the building through sound, patterns and colors.
Israel’s own spectacle, “The Tribe”, is a dance show involving characters who literally play with fire. Located at HaTsanchanim Road, this death-defying act brought to life by Lital Natanzon wowed audiences with fire dancing so kinetic and spellbinding that those who see it are unable to take their eyes off it.
Because the Jerusalem Light Festival took place when it did, attracting tourists was never an issue. Mordecai Holtz, Press and Events Coordinator for the Jerusalem Development Authority, not only praised the festival as a “great opportunity to really bring the various cultures of Jerusalem together” but noted the advantage of its date, the summer “specifically because people are on vacation-mode”.
Overall, the Festival was a rousing success, fulfilling Holtz’s goal of “bringing together different people of all ages coming to the Old City and bringing out the positivity and a sense that everyone should live together”.
No doubt the Festival will return, as magical as it was last week, next year in Jerusalem.
