Visitors are expected to flock to Harrogate’s famous Stray this summer as a giant interactive art installation transforms it into a magical world.
Harrogate International Festivals presents The Luminarium, a monumental walk-in sculpture designed by Alan Parkinson of Architects of Air. The inflatable walk-in sculpture is half the size of a football pitch.
From the Guggenheim in Spain to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the installation has astounded audiences across the globe. It offers a dazzling maze of winding paths and soaring domes where Islamic architecture, Archimedean solids and Gothic cathedrals meld into an inspiring monument to the beauty of light and colour.
Architects of Air founder, designer and artistic director, Alan Parkinson, said: “What motivates me to design is the fact that I continue to be struck by the beauty of light and colour found in the luminaria. These structures nurture an awareness of a pure phenomenon that gently cuts through everyday conditioned perceptions and awakens a sense of wonder in people.”
Sharon Canavar, CEO of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “This builds on Harrogate International Festival’s reputation for hosting major outdoor installations after the success of the Fire Garden in 2016, which attracted over 25,000 people. We’re really proud, and excited, to be bringing The Luminarium to Harrogate as part of our diverse festival programme.”
Harrogate International Festivals won the Arts Festival of the Year Award at the Northern Soul Awards 2017.
2018’s programme includes headline acts MOBO-winner Laura Mvula, The John Wilson Orchestra, northern powerhouse the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder CBE, violinist Rachel Podger with vocal ensemble VOCES8, and clarinettist Emma Johnson.
Events also include Shakespeare in RHS Harlow Carr Gardens with Oddsocks, a free 1940s Day in Valley Gardens and unique long table dinner with acclaimed chef, Stephanie Moon, under the Valley Gardens colonnade. The Festival also delivers its world-renowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July.
Since 1992 Architects of Air has built 21 luminaria, made over 600 exhibitions, and toured in 43 countries where over three million visitors have immersed themselves in the luminous world of Architects of Air.
Visitors are invited to wander through the sculpture, sit or lie down, and enjoy the ambience for a transformative experience. Creating a sense of wonder and enchantment for all ages, the experience has been described as ‘somewhere between a womb and a cathedral’.
The Luminarium will be on the Stray on Thursday 12, Friday 13, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July 2018 on The Stray, Harrogate. Capacity is max 80 people at a time.
Tickets for all events: Box Office: 01423 562 303 harrogateinternationalfestivals.com