Lumiere Durham 2015 (Friday 13th November)

The Red House - Old Shire Hall

Still on a roll after my Thursday trip to London, M and I continued the farewell-to-Durham party with Lumiere on Friday. I obtained tickets for the Friday evening ticketed slot - remembering the post-ticketing queues from 2013's edition - and M and I met a few friends to explore. There were still more larger installations - still not quite as completely random/otherworldly as some of Québec Lumière 2012 - but a very high quality of work. We headed first to Old Elvet for the The Red House and Dreamers. The Red House in particular was very well done.

Heading onto the peninsula, we went to see the Cathedral installations. The World Machine, this year's exterior sound/light installation, was fantastic; a visual explanation of the birth of cosmology. Once we had queued into the Cathedral (this section - not enough thought into the organisation) we were treated to Complex Meshes; this interactive display on the vault ceiling referred to the infinite nature of the universe, but also 80s/90s kids toys.... We passed Litre of Light but thought it was perhaps in the wrong place? - but absolutely loved Garden of Light. This tropical-inspired installation had much more of a discovery/exploratory feel to it, as visitors could walk around the installations, some of which extended into corners along South Bailey. We passed Neon Bikes heading back towards Market Place - good but somehow almost too mundane?

Les Luminéoles

Big Knitting is very clever - from a distance it looks like a projection but up close you can see the 'wool' threads; and DOT was very subtle, but calming - perhaps very suitable installed in Walkergate next to all the loud nightspots! Les Luminéoles - floaty creatures in Market Place and lanterns along Saddler/Silver Streets - was also really fun.

Before heading for dinner, we stopped to look at Fool's Paradise on the side of the Castle. History, folklore and fables indeed!

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