ART OF DARKNESS:
Exploring the Role of Darkness in Urban Cultural Heritage
The Art of Darkness project seeks to preserve and enhance cultural heritage sites across Europe with a better understanding of the cultural, aesthetic, and sustainability values of darkness.
By raising awareness of the importance of well-designed darkness, the project highlights its potential as a resource for human and ecological well-being, cultural innovation, and strategic investment in cultural heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).
The Art of Darkness project is funded by Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.
Project Description
The Art of Darkness project creates a collaborative framework for cities, research institutions, and societies to conduct five artistic pilot trials in cultural heritage sites across five countries.
These trials aim to develop design strategies and solutions that enable sustainable, aesthetic, and socially feasible dark-time experiences.
The project methodology is transdisciplinary, participatory, and integrative.
Researchers, local citizens, and professionals from creative and technical fields co-design solutions to blend the aesthetic qualities of darkness with high-quality architectural lighting and light art.
The project integrates diverse disciplines such as architecture, lighting design, light art, cultural heritage, environmental psychology, cultural anthropology, and engineering to explore and showcase the potential of darkness in urban landscapes.
Project Objectives
- Raise awareness of darkness as a cultural asset: Promote well-designed darkness through architectural lighting and light art in cultural heritage contexts.
- Conduct pilot trials: Study and develop sustainable dark-time experiences in cultural heritage sites across five countries through co-design with local stakeholders.
- Develop the Art of Darkness Piloting Model: Create a replicable model for implementing dark-time design strategies in other regions.
- Support policy development: Translate project results into roadmaps and policy briefs to influence sustainable urban and cultural heritage practices.
- Foster collaboration and innovation: Build partnerships between cities, researchers, and creative professionals to strengthen cultural heritage and CCI sectors.
Project Outcomes
- Strategies for integrating darkness into sustainable and aesthetic lighting design for urban and cultural heritage environments.
- A replicable piloting model for dark-time experiences in cultural heritage contexts.
- Policy recommendations for sustainable and innovative cultural heritage management.
- Enhanced collaboration across disciplines and sectors, contributing to cultural and economic development.
Art of Darkness – Exploring the Role of Darkness in Urban Cultural Heritage
Facts & figures
Project start date: January 2025
Project end date: December 2027
Coordinator: University of Oulu
Funding: Horizon Europe
Funding Amount: €3.87 million
This project will have a dedicated space on the LUCI Hub!
(LUCI Members only)
Photo credits
©Henrika Pihlajaniemi