The Light in Winter

The Light in Winter brings together local and international artists, designers, architects, filmmakers and multicultural groups in a free, month-long program of light sculptures, talks, events, workshops, performances and the much-loved Solstice Celebration. Now in its sixth year, The Light in Winter has welcomed design luminaries from around the world, including Bruce Ramus, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Srinivas Krishna and United Visual Artists.

This year’s program, directed by Robyn Archer, is inspired by the National Year of the Reading and will celebrate the enlightenment that reading sheds on our lives. Literary texts, oral traditions, calligraphy, music, body art and braille are all viewed in a new light, along with imaginative light sculptures, and surprising collaborations from top international and local artists, designers and architects.

Literature Versus Traffic by Luzinterruptus
Main Square, 1 June – 1 July, 24 hours

For their Australian debut, renowned Spanish collective Luzinterruptus create an intriguing installation of illuminated books. The anonymous pair will pave the Square in stories with an ambitious work, Literature Versus Traffic. Transforming the Square’s busy walkways with thousands of pre-loved, reclaimed books and journals, Luzinterruptus create a living, light-filled installation especially for Melbourne.

Explore the spreading artwork or pick up a book to read or write in the pages.

All books are pre-loved and have been provided by The Salvation Army

Close Encounters by Jordana Maisie
Main Square, 1 June – 1 July, 24 hours

In search of answers? Send a message to Close Encounters and be rewarded with a response from the ether!

A bright beacon for poetry and text-based provocations, Australian artist Jordana Maisie’s Close Encounters is a large-scale interactive sculpture shaped like a spaceship.The curved mirrors underneath reflect the world around it and LED messages circle the circumference, inviting and responding to public text messages. Highly regarded for her interactive and sculptural design, Jordana has exhibited in galleries, museums and festivals throughout Australia, as well as internationally in Germany, South Korea, Singapore and the United States of America.

Text to: 0418 442 270

Jordana Maisie artist workshop »

A Tilt of Light by ENESS
St Paul’s Court, 1 June – 1 July, 24 hours

After exhibiting around the world, Melbourne design group ENESS return to Fed Square with a playful new work that explores the forces and objects at play in the familiar childhood seesaw. Equipped with a physics engine and 32 rows of light, a Tilt of Light responds to the angle of tilt as the seesaw moves up and down.

Climb on and watch as the light wades from one end to the next hurling, bouncing and morphing into a ‘ball of light’.

cBraillie by Rob Caslick
River Terrace, 1 June – 1 July, 9am – 9pm

Words can be functional. They can direct, connect, and inform. More importantly, words have the power to invoke feelings of happiness, excitement or even sadness. Braille is the medium that ensures visually impaired people can still experience the joys of reading. Located in a shipping container, cBraille focuses on emotions as the direct link between visitors and a visually impaired person. Backlit Braille displays and a soundscape of stories from vision impaired participants will leave you with a sense of what it’s like to lose your vision, to never have had vision and the common bond shared as human beings.