Under the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS brand, New York 2014 also became part of the exclusive group of cities that illuminate their streets and buildings. On November 6th, 2014, the New York FESTIVAL OF LIGHT lit up the Big Apple. The initiators Liam O’Brian and Ira Levy took the Berlin FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS as their model and adapted it to the American metropolis.
Liam O’Brian said: “From Berlin we are building a bridge to New York. In these two places we share a vision of connecting people’s hearts with light, art and love.”
The two were supported by the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS team from Berlin. Birgit Zander, the organizer of the Berlin Festival, played an important role as a member of the advisory board of the New York counterpart.
There was an exchange about light, projections and mappings – of course also between the artists themselves. In 2014, a renowned artist was already represented at both festivals: The American Nancy Burson had designed a motif on the Berlin Cathedral and later contributed an illumination to the New York Festival.
She says about her artwork on the Berlin Cathedral: “The meaning of my motif builds the bridge between both FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS in Berlin und New York. Both cities are connected in a special way.”
