Lighting the Sound is set to transform the natural coastline and night sky of the portside city of Albany/Kinjarling, into an immersive and meditative light experience over nine magical nights.

13 - 15 March 2026
20 - 22 March 2026
27 - 29 March 2026
Albany, Western Australia
Free Event

Presented by FORM and produced in collaboration with world-renowned Finnish light artist Kari Kola, and co-designed and led by Menang Elders and the Albany community, the lighting spectacular will be visible from key locations around the city of Albany.

From the landforms in and around King George Sound, light reaches skyward, drawing the eye outward towards the life-giving source of the Southern Ocean, the focus of so much ancestral, cultural, ecological and historical meaning.
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Lighting the Sound embodies the Menang-first approach and principles of reconciliation central to the Albany 2026 vision. Rooted in the wisdom of the Menang (or Bloodroot) plant, from which the region’s First Nations people take their name, this community-owned initiative celebrates tensof thousands of years of unbroken connection, creating the opportunity for Menang people to tell their story.

This Australian-first project honours a history that extends far beyond 200 years and is anticipated to be the largest light installation on Earth to date. Lighting the Sound sets a global benchmark for public art experiences grounded in story and place.  

Albany/Kinjarling is located on Menang Country in the south-west of Western Australia.The regional city can be reached via a short flight, a four-and-a-half hour road trip by car or six-hour journey by road coach from Perth.When I first arrived in Albany, Western Australia, I knew little about the deep cultural and historical layers of this region. Like many, I had learned only the basics of Australian and Aboriginal history, but nothing specific to place or people. It was through conversations with local residents and Aboriginal guides that a more complex, living story began to reveal itself.

Artists statement

One moment in particular became the turning point for this project. I learned about a native plant that shares its name with the Menang people — the traditional custodians of this land. I saw the plant, tasted it under the guidance of a local Aboriginal guide, and was struck by how something so small could carry such deep symbolic weight. This living element — native, rooted, resilient — became the anchor of my concept, the plant was called Menang.

From there, the idea for Lighting the Sound began to form. I wanted to create an artwork that acknowledges both the 200-year history of colonial presence in Albany and the 30,000+ years of continuous Aboriginal culture. These timelines are not separate; they exist side by side in the landscape — and in this project, they meet through light, color, and shared experience.

The entire visual language of the work draws from the bloodroot plant — its vivid pigments, earthy hues, and elemental strength. I committed to using only these natural colors, and to working on a scale that is previously unseen. The result is an immersive installation that transforms the landscape and invites the audience into a moment of stillness, reflection, and awe.

At its heart, Lighting the Sound is about cooperation. The work has been shaped through dialogue — with local Aboriginal culture, community, history, technical experts, and an international team. That process of learning and listening has been just as important as the final outcome.

We live in turbulent times, saturated with noise, division, and anxiety. This project offers an alternative: a place to pause. A surreal yet grounded experience. A visual poem. No matter how well it is described in advance, the full power of Lighting the Sound can only be felt on site — in the quiet of the land, under the presence of light.

This is not just an artwork; it is a gesture. A gesture toward understanding. Toward coexistence. Toward beauty. Just as cooperation between cultures was possible here 200 years ago, it remains possible now — and necessary. Lighting the Sound is a reminder of that, written in color, light, and land.

Now more than ever, we must craft beautiful stories and visionary projects that remind us of the power of hope, and the importance of reaching across borders to work together.

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