I love a New England autumn as much as the next Bay Stater but one thing I’m sure most of us can agree on is that is simply sucks that with every day comes an even longer night. I’m not one who enjoys a veil of twilight that transitions from setting in after I’ve made my way home for an evening to already being present once I step out of the BostInno office. But in late October, I’ll make an exception. Because you can’t have a killer laser show without some darkness.
On October 25, Illuminus will be overtaking Boston’s SoWa district, known primarily as the location of the sweeping South End farmer’s market, and transforming it into an urban canvas on which vibrant light projections and installations will be displayed as civic art.
This is Boston’s version of a nuit blanche – translated literally from French as white night” – which in essence is an evening of immersive sound, performance, and multimedia experiences. For Illuminus, over 150 regional artists will be in attendance to light up The Hub.
Illuminus is the brainchild of Jeff Grantz who helped produce Flash:Light New York, a similar exhibition of artists, architects, technologists, designers who came together in the name of art to beautify their city for one night and consider how they can proceed forward with fresh showcases not unlike this one.
BostInno reached out to Jeff Grantz but he was not immediately available to comment.
Grantz put out the call for local artists to submit project proposals and participate in Illuminus, and the responses were so overwhelmingly positive that he extended the deadline until September 17. Now that the deadline has long passed, he and his constituent artists are already gearing up for the imminent show.
“lluminus will transform Boston’s streetscapes into a vibrant urban canvas where regional artists, designers, creative technologists, architects, performers and fabricators converge to showcase their most thoughtful, innovative, and imaginative works,” the Illuminus website bills. “The festival will provoke and inspire, celebrating the creative approaches to art, culture, and community that form the foundation of a thriving and dynamic city.”
Boston has experienced a dynamic shift towards public art under Mayor Marty Walsh’s still young administration. Not only is he focused on building upon the city’s technological prowess, but he’s made tremendous commitments to several vibrant art projects and civic innovations citywide.
The Lawn on D, the 2.7-acre experimental park in adjacent to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, will also play host to some of Grantz’s works for a three-day spectacle beginning Thursday, October 9. The Lawn on D is also home to Swing Time, a set of interactive swings outfitted with LED lights, and that’ll help Boston prepare for the October 25 launch of Illuminus.
