River Of Light Liverpool 2023

River of Light Liverpool 2023 consist of 11 light and sound installation artworks displayed in a 2km loop around Liverpool’s docks and into the city centre. These art works are produced by local and international artists in response to this year’s theme United By Light. The self-guided route curated by the Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool Team, places the artworks in unsuspected places around the area.

Installing artworks in frequented streets and popular places ,such Our Beating Heart on High Street and Ukrainian Dreams on the Albert Dock,  allows the work to interact with audiences that may not have previously interacted with art works before. The use of alternate exhibition spaces creates a welcoming atmosphere. Traditional white cube spaces can be quite intimidating and even just thinking about going to these spaces can be quite dauting. Using public areas which are already frequently visited audiences may be more likely to engage with the works, than those that are kept within institutions. This is interaction is highlighted in the turn out of the 2022 River of Light with 25,000 visitors and £6 million being brought to the local economy. River of Light is significant in bringing artworks out of institutional spaces and to the wider audiences of Liverpool, providing a relaxed initial contact with the art community.

Although the River of Light use of space is in contrast to that of white cube institutional spaces it doesn’t openly critique the institution.  The elitism and exclusion that can exist within institutional spaces has been as significant area of my research. I want to explore the ways that we can open up exhibition spaces to reach wider audiences. River of Light provides an experience to a large audience but doesn’t offer any critical analysis or lasting dialogue with its audience about their use of space. I think that by analysing why the space is this alternate way can provide a space for conversation about the elitist view of exhibition spaces and art itself. Facilitating interacts with art works and the exhibition space provides a stepping stone for many people into the art world, but by going further and facilitating a conversation can provide a deeper understanding.

The use of alternate space and audience interaction is something that I would like to take further into my research. Creating open and welcoming spaces I think is important, as it ensures that you are able to reach as wide an audience as possible. The viewed exclusivity of art spaces and the unwelcoming nature of  institutional spaces excludes areas of the population. River of Light provides a place where you can openly enjoy the aesthetics of the work, even if that just means posting on your Instagram. These interactions and engagement with art spaces may not develop into a further critical analysis but by creating and exhibition with a relaxed and fun atmosphere can encourage an on-going engagement with the arts in the future. By existing in contrast to traditional white cube exhibitions does River of Light provide some sort of institutional critique even if it is not explicit about it's reasoning. These types of questions I would like to explore further.

In linking my previous research into the River of Light Liverpool to my current research and project, I hope to create interesting and unexpected way for people to interact with art works. Similar to that of the River of Light I think that the aspect of the physical space is important in changing the viewed relationship of audience to art works. In removing art works from traditional institutional settings it can mean that those who may not feel comfortable in entering art institutions are provided a space to interact with art without pressures. In creating spaces to engage with the arts outside also provides an escape from the cooped up feeling in the wake of the Covid lockdowns. Although a lot of exhibitions and artworks were displayed online and virtual reality continues to be used by institutions to make their collections accessible, they were used by individuals within their own homes. There is limited to no connection to other physical spaces or others. Throughout this project I hope to be able to use an interesting technology whilst also engaging with a physical space.