In Turku, the darkest time of the year will be brightened with the light installations and seasonal light decorations of the Path of Light instalment. Sites such as the crane at the Börs worksite, Kaupungintalon puisto park and Kauppahallin kuja alley will be illuminated in the city centre. Other parks as well as suburbs will also be decorated with Christmas lights. The illuminated sites will attract residents hiding from the dark to the outdoors to admire the lights and colours.

Let's go out!

The sites of the Path of Light have been published as a map route on the Citynomadi website and in the mobile application. The application is an easy way to tour these sites, and you can read more about the works at the site: www.turku.fi/citynomadi/pathoflight

The Path of Light comprises both old and familiar sites as well as new illuminated areas, and its lights will be lit on 28 November with the city’s other seasonal lights.  The installation concept brings a host of new light installations to the city:

Bling Bling Crane

Cranes and worksites are quite a central part of Turku city centre at the moment. And if you can’t hide it, you should highlight it: The Bling Bling Crane installation uses lights to turn the crane of the Börs worksite into a work of art. The time-coded work is based on changing light colours and flashes of light resembling lightning.

Bling Bling Crane.

The work was implemented in cooperation with YIT, and it was designed by light artist Panu Pikkuaho from Sun Effects. Sun Effects is a design and production collective that specialises in light and video art. Their best-known light art projects include LUX Helsinki, the REFLEKTOR festival and the Polar Night Light in Ruka.

Lämpö (Heat)

The park of City Hall and Market Hall alley will feature festive lighting starting from Independence Day. This piece by Kari Kola and Antti Kulmala connects the beautiful shore of the River Aura with the commercial centre, creating an illuminated pathway between these two locations.

Lämpö.

Kari Kola is an internationally known light artist who has specialised in large outdoor installations. Turku residents may remember Kola from his Luminous Finland series celebrating the centenary of Finnish independence, in which Turku Castle was one of the featured sites. Antti Kulmala created the popular Lasten Valomaa events in the children’s culture centre Adventure Park, amongst others.

Lumihiutaleet (Snowflakes)

The familiar Christmas lighting of the pedestrian street in Turku city centre will be enhanced with snowflake projections reflected on the street, which invite passers-by to jump from snowflake to snowflake. A seasonal projection will also be reflected onto the end wall of the Linnankatu 14 building.

Lumihiutaleet.

These installations are being implemented by Turku-based Jokojo, which specialises in interactive design. The work team includes Artturi Elovirta, Juho Vainio and Antti Lindholm from Jokojo as well as Elisa Hillgen. Jokojo’s projects have featured projections designed for the WAMbience and Grail Quest events, for example. Hillgen, on the other hand, has gained experience through Jyväskylä’s City of Light project.

Something new, something old

The pilot sites in the city centre are complemented by the now traditional lighting of Teatterisilta. This time, the bridge is decorated by the red balls familiar from the Cabaret musical, which remind viewers of Christmas. The experience will be heightened by the beautiful Christmas music played on the bridge and the scent of Christmas tree branches. This installation was designed by Teemu Loikas and Janne Teivainen. The installation is set to be implemented by Turku City Theatre.

The City’s new Christmas lighting sites this year are Asemanpuisto park, Svante Dahlström’s park on Piispankatu and the Christmas lights of Halinen. The large, sparkling Christmas baubles that delighted residents in Brahenpuisto last year have now returned, and the illuminated Traffic Town and Lintupuisto will spread Christmas spirit in Kupittaa. Lauste, Runosmäki and Pansio-Perno will also be decorated with Christmas lights.

Christmas baubles return to Brahenpuisto. Photos: Pasi Leino

But these are only the first steps. The Path of Light will also help us look forward to next year, when an extensive, completely new kind of light event will be organised in Turku.

“This event and the Path of Light pilot leading up to it are part of Turku city centre’s spearhead development project. One essential part of developing the city centre is to promote its year-round attractiveness. Various events and use of light have a major impact on this,” says Director of Urban Planning Timo Hintsanen.

“Most of events in Turku take place in summer. The dark season is long, and we should be able to utilise it better. When we plan this light event, we have to carefully consider how it will be implemented in a way that takes inspiration from the unique characteristics of Turku, so that we can achieve an event that reflects this city,” Hintsanen highlights.

Teatterisilta. Photo: Heikki Räisänen