07/09/2010

York Minster's facade, it can be revealed today, will once again be lit up by night, as organisers of York's Illuminating York festival announce their exciting plans for October 2010.  This will be the first use of the Minster as a canvas for a true "son et lumiere", and will be an evocative work on a stained glass masterpiece, saved for the nation during the Minster fire of 1984.

Supported by the Arts Council England, City of York Council, Visit York and Welcome to Yorkshire and now in its sixth year, the Illuminating York Festival is an outdoor lighting festival using modern lighting and projection technologies to celebrate the city's unique architecture and history.

Visitors will be invited to experience cutting edge technology at its most beautiful with one main lighting installation focusing on the Minster's Rose Window and bathing the whole of the South Transept in a colourful light spectacular.

Gillian Cruddas, Chief Executive of Visit York said, ‘Illuminating York is a fantastic opportunity to showcase York's innovative and creative edge, set against the backdrop of the city's stunning architecture.  We're delighted that this year the artists will be using imagery to reflect the spirit of Yorkshire and it's fitting that the Minster's Rose window will be the focus of this.'

This year's main event returns to the Minster with a spectacular work forty metres tall, featuring music, poetry and images focused on the 15th century Rose window and the South Transept.  Highly-acclaimed British projection artist Ross Ashton and sound artist Karen Monid will present ‘Rose', a specially commissioned artwork, which will transform the Minster's Rose window into a breathtaking vision of colour, light and shape.  This continuous ten minute evolving piece will light the iconic stained glass window from within and use the surrounding architecture as a projection surface to explore the symbolism of the rose.

‘Rose' will be created using high power slide projectors creating gigantic ‘magic lantern' effects covering the entire end of the South Transept.  Images from the collection of the Minster and the museums of York will be montaged and restructured to fit exactly onto the medieval architecture; the idea being to reinterpret the existing architecture with images drawn from within the Minster archive.

Ross Ashton said, ‘From its deep rooted history as the emblem of Yorkshire to its representation of mythology, love, marriage, religion and the beauty of the Virgin Mary, the rose has many different meanings.  Our artistic representation will look to re-discover these meanings taking the viewer on an enchanting and creative journey.'

‘We wish to celebrate the Rose in all its aspects, as a symbol of Yorkshire, as a geometrical shape and a focus for contemplation, as a symbol of perfection and purity and of course as a symbol of perfect love.'

A full programme of fringe events is also planned; the area surrounding the Minster will offer visitors a trail of art and light and several of the city's visitor attractions will be hosting evening events.  Also part of the Illuminating York festival will be a Creative York Symposium on Wed 27 October, organised by Science City York.  Aimed at industry professionals this will focus on digital and new technologies.  Illuminating York is supported by Visit York, City of York Council, The Arts Council England and Welcome to Yorkshire.  To find out more about Illuminating York visit www.illuminatingyork.org.uk or telephone Visit York Information Centre Tel 01904 550099. ENDS