Free Winter Lights At Canary Wharf
– Canary Wharf reveals the 12 spectacular new pieces coming to the ninth edition of its hugely popular light art festival –
– Many artworks are coming to the UK for the first time –
– The enchanting light trail will return from Tuesday 21st January to Saturday 1st February 2025 –
Canary Wharf has unveiled the 12 new artworks coming to its highly anticipated Winter Lights festival later this month, created by some of the world’s most creative and celebrated light artists. Joining its ever-popular permanent pieces, the collection includes two brand new commissions created exclusively for the festival, and four artworks never before seen in the UK.
Winter Lights is now an annual tradition for many Londoners, and the free-to-attend festival is set to transform Canary Wharf into a luminous landscape for its ninth edition from Tuesday 21st January.
The festival will explore the transformative and otherworldly qualities of art and light. Combining the real with the surreal, the line-up will take visitors from a towering stack of bathtubs pulsing with light and sound, to a mesmerising tornado of lights orbiting a pylon. Other works include a UK-first illuminated bird in flight, and a larger-than-life portal in Wood Wharf.
The first of the festival’s two new commissions is Mirage. An immersive artwork that acts as a metaphor for consumers’ relationship with the fabricated mirage of social media. During daylight Mirage reflects and refracts the sunlight as it moves across the sky, and at night the pre-choreographed light show illuminates the artwork in an ethereal and mirage-like way.
Stitching Light, the second commissioned piece, is a sound and light installation that amplifies the lives and histories of Bangladeshi women living in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – using traditional Bangladeshi folk style painting and embroidered light thread to tell real life stories.
Visitors are invited to explore London’s largest free light display as it opens for 12 nights from Tuesday 21st January to Saturday 1st February between 5-10pm.
Whilst the festival runs, visitors can indulge in a variety of delicious food and drink offerings across Canary Wharf. Mmy Wood Wharf will be hosting a neighbourhood food market in Harbour Quay Gardens, featuring six of their best street food brands. Joe Blake’s will be setting up a charming chalet serving freshly made doughnuts and hot chocolate. Dishoom will be hosting a free Chai pop-up in Wood Wharf, and if visitors fancy something a bit stronger, No35 Mackenzie Walk will be opening its terrace and serving an exclusive light-up cocktail. Other tasty offerings include hot drinks and takeaway pasta from an Emilia’s Crafted Pasta pop-up bar, and mulled wine at The Henry Addington and Humble Grape.
Those looking to spend a day out visiting the festival can also experience London’s longest running ice-skating rink, based in Canada Square Park, remaining open until Sunday 23rd February.
Pippa Dale Senior Arts & Events Manager at Canary Wharf Group comments: “Our Winter Lights festival will be lighting up London’s skies once again this month as it transforms the neighbourhood into a large-scale art exhibition, bringing light to these dark January evenings. We’re excited to be able to invite pioneering light creators from across the globe to exhibit in the extraordinary environment of Canary Wharf, bringing our customers and communities together, in what we hope will be our most dynamic show yet.”
Emergency Exit Arts, who produced the artwork Stitching Light said: ‘We are very excited about Stitching Light. We have had the opportunity to collaborate with Bangladesh-based artists Ruhul Abdin and Oitij-jo who are based in Tower Hamlets. It exemplifies everything we like to do; to tell meaningful stories from people whose voices are seldom heard, and to create a beautiful artwork that will be enjoyed by thousands of people. We can’t wait for Canary Wharf Winter Lights and the reaction to this important piece of work.”
Art enthusiasts visiting the installations can download the Winter Lights map via the Canary Wharf website or their free app, or pick one up from the friendly event stewards on arrival to help them navigate the exhibition.