“Darkness is not a limitation, an obstacle, or something to be afraid of.
It can be a stage if we harness it with light art expertise.”
For over 20 years, I have been creating large-scale light installations in
urban environments, natural sites, historical sites, and large public art events.
The collection presents international productions from over the years,
as well as my works in my home country, Finland.
-
![Night scene of illuminated trees and purple lights by Kari Kola at the Glow Festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, with bicycles parked along a pathway and a person walking nearby.]()
Magical garden consept
Magical Garden was a light art concept presented in various locations and countries across Europe in 2015-2021.
My aim was to transform familiar environments for visitors into magical ones through the use of light, shadow, and soundscapes.
Light art has the potential to change how we experience our everyday surroundings. It transforms the familiar into the surprising, the ordinary into the magical. For me, the best part is walking through the finished piece and listening to the audience's reactions in a familiar environment, but recreated by light, whether it's a park, a built urban environment, or a historical site.
Prague,Czech Republic 2015:
Signal Festival, Shooters Island in the middle of the Vltava River.Cascais, Portugal 2016: Lumina light art festival
Skopje, North Macedonia 2021: Light art district
-
![Night view of Tampere, Finland with the Water Tower illuminated in purple and pink lights by Kari Kola with beams of light shining from the top.]()
Water tower
THE MAIN INSTALLATION FOR THE LUMINOUS PIRKANMAA LIGHT FESTIVAL IN TAMPERE, FINLAND.
The tallest building in Finland, Näsinneula tower, was chosen and the idea was to create an illusion using lights to make the tower look even higher than it already is. The result was the highest light art piece in the Nordic countries
-
![Nighttime view of a fortress illuminated in blue lights by Kari Kola, situated on a hill next to a calm body of water, with mountains in the background.]()
Images
Italy
-
![Night scene of a park in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, with colorful illuminated trees, a river, and light trails on the grass in the foreground, part of the 'Submerged' art installation by Kari Kola.]()
Submerged
SUBMERGED AT GLOW EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS
Light Artist Kari Kola participated Glow Light Festival in the Netherlands with two pieces of light art in cooperation with other artists. The installation titled Submerged was created in cooperation with an American Light Artist Annie Mitchell and a Dutch Sound Designer Philip Ross. The theme of the piece was water and it was built in the setting of a historically significant river that flows through Eindhoven, the Dommel: the surrounding nature by the river and the walls of the Van Abbe Museum were brought to life by underwater optic fibers and reflections of the water.
-
![Night scene of a building illuminated with colorful lights, surrounded by trees and silhouettes of people. Light artist Kari Kola]()
Living Mine
A CELEBRATION FOR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FINDING ORE IN A CLOSED MINE IN OUTOKUMPU, FINLAND.
In 2010 I used only light and sound and in 2011 I built on the previous year’s work by adding dance and pyrotechnics. The idea behind these pieces was to open the mine area for cultural use.
-
![Night view of a lit-up bridge with electric light posts and cables over a waterway, reflecting colorful lights on the water, with buildings in the background. Kari Kola]()
Bridge of light
THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE EUROPEAN CULTURE CAPITAL YEAR OF TURKU, FINLAND.
The size of the lit area was 7 hectares (17,3 acres), making it the largest light installation ever created in Finland. In addition to the lights, there were aerial acrobats and dancers and we also set the River Aurajoki on fire.
-
![Night scene of a city street with illuminated buildings, including a tall building with blue lighting and beams of light shooting from the top, and cars and pedestrians on the street. Kari Kola]()
Something Blue
THE LIGHT ARTWORK ‘SOMETHING BLUE’ TURNED THE WHOLE PULLMAN HOTEL IN EINDHOVEN BLUE FROM 10-17 TH OF NOVEMBER 2018.
The light equipment was customized to be an exceptionally deep tone of blue. The installation illuminated nearly the whole city. There were several light beams on top of the hotel roof which reached over two kilometers high.
“I decided to harness Pullman Hotel into a landmark for the GLOW Festival. I made a hi-power installation with a really deep single color. I decided to go up to two kilometers with the deepest possible blue and play with power and stillness.”
The theme for GLOW this year was called 'Shadows & Light'. All light was accompanied by shadows, there was no image without content. With this year's theme GLOW 2018 searches for this duality. “ In my work Something Blue there were lots of shadows because of the architecture and the light beams was visible from over 20 kilometers away.”
-
![Night scene with trees illuminated in red on the left and in blue and green on the right, with reflections on water and lights on a bridge in the background. Kari Kola]()
Shadows of the river
THE MAIN INSTALLATION FOR THE CITY OF LIGHT EVENT IN JYVÄSKYLÄ, FINLAND.
The main installation for The City of Light event in Jyväskylä, Finland 2014. One of the largest environmental lighting pieces done in Finland, the lit area was almost one kilometer long. The installation also featured a multi-channel soundscape. Around 20.000 visitors.
-
![Night scene at a park with illuminated trees in blue, green, and purple lights, people gathered and walking on the grass, some taking photos, a large vertical sculpture on the left, and a spotlight shining into the sky. Kari Kola]()
Nordic Elements
COMMISSIONED WORK FOR LUMINA FESTIVAL DA LUZ, CASCAIS, PORTUGAL.
An environmental lighting piece lit a big park in the city center. The installation formed a route that the visitors could walk from one part of the installation to the next. During three evenings around 500.000 visitors saw it. Besides lighting the installation featured several composed multi-channel soundscapes and a dancer.
-
![Kari Kola]()
Color park
COLOR PARK HELSINKI FINLAND.
In Color Park you can step under a colored light and your presence will tone the vault next to the Old Church. You can mix the colors or try painting with your hand! Colors react to the sound frequency of the theremin, an instrument invented nearly a hundred years ago. The changes in the sound frequency changes the frequency of light, in other words, the color of light. The result was tranquil, nearly a meditative vibe in the park in which the viewers can focus on experiencing and exploring light. The visuality of the artwork was supported by a multi-channel soundscape.
