Luz

JO-HS is proud to present its third exhibition ‘LUZ’ bringing together a group of modern and contemporary lighting designers, photographers and artists all working within the realm of light. Featured artists include Ananas Ananas, Laura Berger, Exit Ceren, Ana Corrigan, Dylan Dubson, David Eardley, André Feliciano, Thomas Glassford, Mauricio Guerrero/La Metropolitana, Ingrid Culebro Brown / HILA, Adrian Leverkuhn, Ben Noam, Taeko Nomiya, G.T. Pellizzi, Louis Poulsen, Pia Riverola, and SOMBRA.

What is light and what would we do without it?

Light is fundamental for life. Without it, we would cease to exist. The main source of light on Earth is the Sun. Historically, another important source of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to modern kerosene lamps. With the development of electric lights and power systems, electric lighting has effectively replaced firelight. Light is the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

It is a simple thing, sometimes we take it for granted, but without it most of the things we now call “art” would not have been created. From the cave paintings at Lascaux, to the tall gothic cathedrals and paintings by Caravaggio, light has always had this sacred quality. It is what creates perception, and every physical or mental image is imbued with representation. Without being able to see, a physical representation of our environments and life itself would be impossible. Of course, every image is influenced by our perception, since we perceive according to how something is presented to us.

In this sense, that is the beauty of art. Each artist has their own way of viewing things, each representation will be unique and personal. Light at its core might be the same –it makes the invisible, visible–, but the way it is applied and transformed can really grant different aspects. From the manipulation of colors, shadows, space and shapes. For instance, sunlight will make you feel warm, but a work from James Turrell will be completely sensorial, transportive and ethereal.

In this “LUZ” exhibition, we aim to demonstrate the different qualities of light. From lamps, to light installations, to photography and video, they’re all dependent on this one medium of expression. The difference lies in the way each artist appropriates and perceives it, in order to create something new. It is a source for life, but also for creation and manifestation.

The first examples of modern light art appeared after the discovery of electric lighting made longterm lighting safe and affordable towards the end of the 19th century. Light art however didn't become a dedicated form of art until the late 20th century, in large part due to pioneering work begun in 1969, as part of an experimental program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, by Robert Irwin and James Turrell.

While photography’s strength lay in depicting depth through light and shadow, it still remained a two-dimensional medium. Seminal light artist Dan Flavin created art that could blur the boundaries of space by manipulating the principles of sculpture.

When we think of light, we rarely think of darkness, yet there can only be light if there is darkness.