Artists Leo Villareal and Teemu Määttänen in Conversation

Join the Illuminated River Foundation and The Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland for a virtual talk ‘Bringing Light Art to London: Artists Leo Villareal and Teemu Määttänen in Conversation’.

New York based artist Leo Villareal and Helsinki based artist Teemu Määttänen use creative coding and LED technology to ‘paint with light’. Whilst both artists are exhibiting their work in London - Määttänen’s installation Noste is featured in the Southbank Centre’s Winter Light exhibition and Villareal’s major public art commission, Illuminated River, is lighting up central London’s bridges - the event will explore the role of light art in bringing beauty, magic and tranquility to urban environments. Come nightfall, light installations provide a uniquely accessible form of public art for people living in busy capital cities such as London.

Introduced by Sarah Gaventa, Director of the Illuminated River Foundation, and moderated by Johanna Agerman-Ross, Curator of 20th Century Furniture & Design, Design, Architecture and Digital, and Founder of Disegno, the discussion will also look at how computer programming serves as a vital tool in the development of light art, changing the frequency, intensity and patterning of LEDs in a way that responds and adapts to the shifting requirements of public spaces. This will be followed by a Q&A session, welcoming questions from the audience.

The talk is free and accessible to everyone. Once you have registered, the link to the Zoom platform will be sent to your inbox prior to the talk.