Illuminating video art series in Lugano merges contemporary art with nature

The video art project Illuminating, curated by Eva Fabbris and Giovanna Manzotti, opened in Lugano on August 22, 2021, as part of the broader festival È per rinascere che siamo nati organized by the association Nel – Fare arte nel nostro tempo. The series features 15 works by pioneers and emerging artists, screened over three evenings (August 22, 23, and September 4) in public spaces: Piazzetta San Carlo and Boschetto Ciani. The opening night included nine videos, starting with Roman Signer's Punkt (2006) and spanning works from 1977 (Bill Viola's Reflecting Pool) to 2020 (William Kentridge's Waiting for the Sibyl). Other artists featured include Alex Cecchetti, Joan Jonas, Pippilotti Rist, Jala Wahid, Jieun Lim, Adrien Missika, and later Kiluanji Kia Henda, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Uri Aran, Vanessa Safavi, and Mathilde Rosier. The second evening screened Pauline Julier's 55-minute Naturales Historiae. The project was supported by LongLake Festival and L’Ideatorio of Università della Svizzera Italiana. Art historian Salvatore Settis gave an opening address emphasizing art's social role. The name Illuminating references Pantone's 2021 color of the year, Yellow Illuminating.