Sunday 17 January 2016

Lumiere London

The "Lumiere" festival of lights has come to London!  And of course we wanted to go and see it.   But, "due to maintenance work," both our tube lines are out of action this weekend. Buses are very crowded and some are also on diversion, so it is no easy task to get into the centre.

At first we moaned about the incompetence of ... well, someone. Whoever organises these things.  "How stupid to put on a festival when so many people won't be able to get there... how disappointing.... bet nobody goes to it ...."

When we reached Piccadilly Circus, however...


we found ourselves in the most enormous crowds I have seen since the Millennium.   Luckily they were extremely good natured, but even so you can imagine how it felt being in the middle of this.

It soon became clear that the event organisers had vastly underestimated the numbers who would turn up to see these fantastic light installations.    Thank goodness so many trains were not running, is all I can say!

The installations are all over the city, and we didn't even see half of them, so we hope to return tonight (see below),  However, even if we don't see the rest, it was worth going in just for Les Lumineoles, below, in Piccadilly.



This installation of huge creatures, a cross between fish and spaceships, was created by the French company Porte Par Le Vent   When you're actually there beneath them, they seem awfully large, and they do look alive. The music that accompanies them (not clear on my video, sadly) enhanced the unearthly atmosphere.

Actually, the creatures are kites. I spotted one of the operators.


My second favourite installation, in Regent Street, was Keyframes, by the French group LAPS. This video is part of a much longer musical show, in which these little figures can be anything from ballet dancers to computer games.  Here, as the music suggests, they are being a computer game.



Onlookers absolutely loved this one.  It was so dark that I couldn't get good pictures of their enchanted faces, but this is typical.  I could feel a huge smile over my own face, too.



In St. James' Square, illuminated human figures sat on top of buildings or floated amongst the trees.


This is how they looked a little closer up.  As you walked towards them, they seemed to be moving against the dark sky. 


This installation was called "The Time Travellers", and it's by Cedric le Bourgne - check out the amazing bird picture on his website, here.  If you notice a certain French slant to the names, I think it might be because France seems to go in for light installations. We've often seen Son et Lumiere presentations on visits to France, and I think they have them in other places too. But this festival is a first for London.

It was all but impossible to get through the four small gates into St James' Square at first, but the crowds were good natured and formed themselves into the traditional tube train queuing routine - walk on the right - and in the end everyone managed to squeeze into the more spacious park through the narrow little gates. And what a relief it was to get inside. Then, all you had to do was get out afterwards....

I don't think the organisers can have been expecting anything like this number of spectators, because little thought seemed to have been given to finding sensible and practical places to site some of the installations.  We wanted to see Deepa Man-Kler's "Neon Dogs", but it was at ground floor level in a shop window past which ran a none-too-wide pavement.  What with people trying to see the installation, or walk past on the pavement, and not get knocked off into the traffic, this ended up as another one we simply couldn't manage to see.

Apparently the installations at Kings Cross had to be switched off last night because of overcrowding.    T and I want to see them though, so we might get along early this evening. I don't know how we will get to Kings Cross without the tube. There aren't any buses going there from here.  Perhaps we will drive to a tube station on a line that IS open - if you can park. Or maybe we should just walk - it is walkable (just).

Today, I'm trying to get the details of a trip to Iceland sorted out.  Iceland in February might not be everyone's cup of tea but it sounds as if my trip will be very interesting, although very short.  Hope the bug has gone by then.  T and I can't believe how it is lingering. If it wasn't both of us we would start to wonder if there was something wrong with our immune systems, but it is much better than it was a couple of weeks ago, and for that I am grateful.



56 comments:

  1. What fun to have been there. It's amazing!

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  2. I'm so sorry your bug is still hanging on after all this time. Those germs seem pernicious at this time of year, holding tight. It's no consolation to know the same thing is happening here, but you are not alone.

    I'm glad you felt well enough to get out to see this. When I saw video on the news I was enchanted. They were showing the walking wire people in the sky and some other things that just were amazing. Your photos are really good -- especially considering the night. Love the one of peoples' faces! I hope tonight brings more wonderful photos and great experiences and that you're feeling better every day. (I've seen some wonderful photos of Iceland on Kristin's Camera -- she calls it her favorite place -- and you are in for a treat, I think, with this trip.

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  3. Jenny, glad to read that you're much better and your trip to Iceland will be interesting. This Lumiere fest is well know and it's nice that it is in London now. Thanks for sharing your photos and especially your videos - it seemed as I have been there too.

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  4. Thank you for opening up another part of the beautiful planet!

    Sorry to read y'all aren't feeling your best as yet.
    I have a good pot of black bean chili every week to help keep the ills at bay. I air out the living space, freezing out or not. I remember the windows open on cleaning day when I was a kid. At a work place many years ago, the people that weren't sick or as ill as everyone else were the two that had regular outdoor fresh air exercise jogging and walking.

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    1. Funny you should say that, I AM eating chilli because I have a kind of feeling it's good for me. My love of fresh air battles with my dislike of cold air :)

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  5. Wow...wow !
    Those human figures...!
    Excellent post !

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  6. This is pretty amazing. I hope you get to see the rest of the displays you want to see. The crowds sound horrid.

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  7. Wow, this is just incredible. I'd really enjoy viewing this live myself, but I'm thankful for your lovely post of it too!

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  8. Wow! Never have seen anything like those displays!
    I hope you two are feeling okay soon. I was sick for over a month with a respiratory illness this winter already. You think you're never going to get well.
    I hope you got to see some more light displays without too much trouble or bad weather.

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    1. You put up with your physical problems so well Rita, and I am grateful that this bug is no longer at the vicious stage, and hope that you will soon be completely over it.

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  9. You have the most wonderful adventures. I think I might have been a bit upset though about the crowd of people.

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  10. That looks wonderful; worth it for the show and the atmosphere I should think.

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  11. I would love to have seen this light festival having seen pictures of it on the internet - you were fortunate - I really like those big ghostly fishes.
    Can't think of anything better than going to Iceland in February, it is the only month that I am always happy to see the back of.

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    1. Yes,Rosemary. I went to the other part of the festival yesterday and it was very good too but the fishes - or were they aliens? - got top vote from both T and me.

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  12. We were in town too early yesterday to see the lights on but we did see a few things in the daylight! Shame about the organisation but at least you saw some of it. An organiser of the event was on the news the other morning and said that this may become a regular thing. It is a good thing to have after the Christmas lights have gone, to cheer up dark January.

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  13. It rather sounds like lots of people haven't done their homework.

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  14. The bug lasts forever, it's not you.
    Iceland was good for one couple I knew who honeymooned there.
    Fish three times a day was a shock to them!

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  15. At first I was going to say that I would not be a part of a crowd like that for anything but as I scrolled down, it all looked so magical that in fact, I might have.

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  16. What a wonderful festival. I am envious and regret I will never see it most likey. No wonder it attracts huge crowds.

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  17. Wow, that is some serious crowding. I would be unhappy in such packed surroundings. However, the light shows are pretty amazing!

    Iceland in February! You are a brave lady.

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  18. Wow those crowds would be a bit too much for me but the light shows look amazing. I loved both of your videos. I bet it was cold too! We had snow today.

    I still haven't completely recovered from the cold I got flying back to the UK. The worst part is that my ears are now blocked up, I just hope my hearing fully recovers. A dj with bad hearing isn't ideal! I hope you feel 100% better very soon too!

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    1. Oh I do hope that your ears unblock soon, do your ears generally block up? Ts do and in acoustics that can be a problem too.

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  19. At first glance, this reminded me of New Year's Eve in Times Square - - but after reading your descriptions and seeing the videos, it is infinitely better. I love it! The event certainly attracted massive crowds.

    Iceland?? I've never been there but it sounds fascinating.

    The "bug" that you have seems to be everywhere this winter and, unfortunately, it does tend to linger.

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  20. This all looks amazing, I saw some photos on the web and wondered what it would be like. Hope you're well soon, our coughs are still lingering after 2 weeks.

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  21. Crowds are not amongst my favourite people; and I do not like to be amongst crowds. I'd rather be sitting alongside that beautiful cat up there on the seafront in your header photo. That cat and I would get along very well. :)

    However, in saying that, I can imagine the display is wonderful to see, and I'm thankful I get to see it through your eyes; your lens. Thank you, Jenny. :)

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  22. That looks amazing, i'm not surprised people did everything they could to get there! If you do end up going to Iceland, i hope you are totally well by then.

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  23. Oh I would have loved to see this !
    I would not do good in the crowds. The organisers should have thought after Christmas/New Year this is something to see.
    Iceland sounds like a fun wonderful trip.

    cheers, parsnip

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  24. All of these truly look great, fantastic, spectacular. But the huge crowds would have put me off completely. I am not a big fan of so many people in one place; one can't rely on everybody being good-natured, and what happened in Cologne and Hamburg on New Year's Eve clearly shows that there is not necessarily "safety in numbers" - except for those who are up to no good.

    A trip to Iceland? Sounds fascinating! A friend of mine was there some years ago and was deeply impressed, she's still talking about it.

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  25. Wow, those installations are so cool! I love how those creatures change color.

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  26. Wow, that is some event! Do you have a crick in your neck from trying to take in all of the sights overhead?

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    1. Doesn't do my vertigo much good, to be sure :)

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  27. Aha, maybe it's letting me comment now. We'll see! I would love to see this festival, but the crowds would certainly hold me back a bit. What a wonderfully creative concept! I didn't know the French were so well known for this sort of thing although I did know about their Son et Lumière presentations. I saw a beautiful one in Moissac a few years ago. Lovely post, Jenny!

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    1. Thank you for trying again, Val! We saw an incredible one at Chartres cathedral once, and also I think in Toulouse. They did illuminate Westminster Abbey but that was one that we just couldn't manage to get to see.

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  28. I hate crowds, but that show looked like it it was worth that and the inconveniences. I hope you get to see more tonight. Thank you for sharing your videos and pictures; they were awesome.

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    1. Thanks, and we did get to see more. They were also wonderful but it would be hard to beat the fish and the little people running around all over the building, we thought.

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  29. What a great spectacle. I would love to see those elegant fish. Now I'm looking forward to seeing Iceland without any airport hassle.

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    1. Groan, I do hate travelling by plane - it's so not fair that we live in a time without teleportation :)

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  30. Sounds amazing, although rather a crush! Iceland should be fabulous and is certainly on my to-do list. Hope you will be better very soon.

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  31. Beautiful...though I would have found the crowds a bit overwhelming. Thanks for sharing your experience and have a wonderful 2016.

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  32. Hi Jenny. Those light shows look like a cross between delightful and ever so slightly weird - but wonderful! Loved your previous post too, by the way. Sorry to hear you've been unwell - there's a lot of it about. Just a tad jealous of your trip to Iceland!

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    1. I suspect there are not all that many interesting buildings in the bit of Iceland we're going to, though, Mike. :)

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  33. Glad you got to see it - does look as though it was worth the effort.

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  34. What an amazing display Jenny. I have never seen anything like those little figures running all over the front of the building! The floating fishy shapes look beautiful too. How beautiful it must have been, despite the crowds!

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    1. Yes, it was very exciting and inspiring, and I am so glad we saw it

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  35. Do hope you are both fully recovered soon - at least you were well enough to see these lovely lights. And Iceland will be amazing!

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  36. As someone who left London in 2000, I was very interested to hear of the new Lumiere Festival. It looks fabulous, especially Les Lumineoles. A pity about the public transport shambles, though as you say it did limit the overcrowding a bit. It seems London's transport system isn't much better than when I left!

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    1. Seems to be endlessly having engineering work at weekends. Thought it would all be done by the 2012 Olympics, but no such luck !

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  37. Hello,Jenny.
    Fantastic! It looks fun. I can hear their shout in the crowd. I enjoyed all of your photos!

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  38. That is some crowd outside Piccadilly! :-) Nice photos. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  39. OMG, these all look amazing!!! i would love to check out the venues of Lumiere London to experience the Luminous lights in city

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  40. Dear Jenny - The name “Lumiere London” reminded me of “Kobe Luminaire” which started as memorial service for the victims of Hanshin Great Earthquake and fund-raising, but soon I found the contents were quite different and there were many various different light shows recently. The flying huge sea creature kite, which I haven’t seen before in person, must have been exciting. In Japan, projection mapping is popular. I think I know how enjoyed each show, but also how you were concerned about overcrowding. No thoughts about crowd-control is professional negligence as organizers because crowds is a part of festival.

    Iceland looks nice and wild country to me. Nice location as it is not so far from England. Hope you’ll get better from the prolonged cold soon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

    Yoko

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  41. Catching up with blogger friends. The light installations are amazing. I've never seen anything like that. It must have been so much fun to view them, even if you had to fight the crowds.

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  42. Wow! Those installations are incredible. We had a similar thing here a few months ago, and the crowds were insane there too. Planning people, take note: people like light shows.

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  43. Aaaah, I didn't see "The Time Travellers" but you've taken a beautiful photo of it! The overcrowding was crazy indeed but I'm glad we went.

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