LUCI at Llum i Emocions conference in Barcelona

The Spanish lighting cluster CICAT organised the first edition of Llum i Emocions conference in conjunction with the Llum BCN light festival, 14 February 2020.

LUCI Programme Manager Jessica Ferey presented the various ways LUCI cities around the world are using creative lighting – both permanent and temporary – to enhance public spaces in addition to how light can impact people’s emotions and perceptions of a space.

 

Below is a translation of the CICAT recap article (original version – in Spanish – is available here).

The power of light in the “Llum i Emocion” (Light and Emotions) conference

The SB Glow Hotel hosted the first edition of the “Llum i Emocions” conference that was held as part of the Llum BCN Festival.

The “Llum i Emocions” (Light and Emotions) conference paid tribute to its title on a day moderated by Jordi Nexus on which the main focus was light and emotions. The president of the CICAT Lighting Cluster, Alex Morales, was in charge of opening the event. In a trilingual speech, he thanked both attendees and participants, and spoke about the promising future prospects of the Cluster. The congress was inaugurated by María Güell, artistic director of the Llum BCN Festival.

The speakers of the CICAT panel were unintentionally – but quite happily – all women. That is why the event was supported by the “Women in Lighting” movement, presented by the Cluster Manager Jessica Kamps, a movement aimed at giving a voice to the talent of women from the industry the sector, ultimately a talent that all the speakers made clear.

The power of light, in all its aspects, was the guiding thread of the presentations. Isabel Villar – lighting designer at White Arkitekter – told us about how the lack of exposure to natural light physically affects us, and the artificial solutions that are being developed to be protected against those effects. Jessica Ferey and Fenella Dawnay – programme manager at LUCI Association and producer at Artichoke Trust respectively, proposed a more emotional approach to the power of light, arguing that light helps us feel safe, encourages us to go out in the street despite the cold weather, and can even take us back to our dearest childhood memories.

The discussion was closed with a presentation by Ophélie Barou of the Cluster Lumière, who enlightened us about the birth of light festivals. A round-table then tool place with all the speakers, complemented with the intervention of Marta Arcaya – Senior Sponsor of the the event- who closed the CICAT panel.

Finally, APDI – co-organisers of the conference – organised a panel discussion moderated by Lara Elbaz – president of APDI – and Ainara Bilbao – architect at AIA- in which lighting designers, visual artists and city representatives took part. (BIMSA and IMPU ).
As the event came to an end, a cocktail reception gathered all participants, belonging to all areas of the lighting value chain, where they were able to meet, talk, exchange opinions and network.

The conference resulted in a great success following the wonderful reactions of the people who attended this sold out event as well as the future collaboration projects that emerged.

AT CICAT, we look to the future with a smile, knowing that the second edition of the conference is on its way.

Thank you all!