Toomemägi Revisited: The Lighting Artwork of the Tartu Cathedral ‘Dawn and Dusk’

Toomemägi Revisited: The Lighting Artwork of the Tartu Cathedral 'Dawn and Dusk'

The Lighting Artwork of the Tartu Cathedral ‘Dawn and Dusk’
The author of the work is the Belgian lighting design agency Light To Light, represented by Fiorenzo Naméche in collaboration with lighting designers Chiara Carucci (Italy) and Alfred Sà (Spain).

The artwork combining Nordic folklore, 19th century mythology and modern lighting design illuminates the walls of Tartu Cathedral every night. The work is inspired by a beautiful story where the lovers Dawn and Dusk meet only once a year on the summer solstice, when day and night
become one.

The light is switched on at sunset and changes several times as darkness falls in the evening. At night, the light intensity is reduced so as not to disturb the animals, birds and other inhabitants of Toomemägi while they sleep. In the morning, the light artwork welcomes early arrivals to Toomemägi and then switches off for the day at sunrise. From Friday to Sunday, half an hour after dusk, a special layer of the lighting artwork called’ Coloured Shadows’ is activated. During this time, the Cathedral is bathed in blue and purple tones, and because of an optic effect, everyone walking between the ruins will have multiple colored shadows.

We celebrate the 800th anniversary of Estonia’s largest medieval church with a light artwork that speaks of the eternal cycle of nature and the power of love.

The lighting artwork of the Tartu Cathedral is part of the project ‘Toomemägi Revisited’ within the main programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, bringing the historical heart of Tartu to life with the help of light, culture and science.