Dokumentation der LICHTSTRÖME Koblenz 2012

ART FORMS IN NATURE
visitors. And even when the temporary installations
were removed after ten days, the artistic interventions
were retained in individual and collective memories.
Seven of the ten installations, interventions and performances
were site-specific, i.e. either they premiered
during the LICHTSTROEME or were realized as
specific adaptations. The exhibition has proved to be a
kind of laboratory for the artists allowing them to experiment
with different aesthetical modes of existence
of their works. The basic question was not whether
what is shown is art, but taking the freedom to see
things in a different light. This mirrors our credo that
in the curatorial work there are no general principles.
Each exhibition engenders its own rules, independent
parameters and methods along its underlying conceptual
guidelines. In the best case the results are environments
that enable a high awareness for each of
the artistic interventions and an aesthetic experience,
which is a prerequisite for understanding the different
artistic positions as well as their discursive relationship.
The second edition of LICHTSTROEME faced the special
challenge that they had to be developed in six
month only. That they could still be realized is due to
the special commitment of the Federal Horticultural
Show in Koblenz GmbH with its CEO Hanspeter Faas
and the director of the program of events Sonja Kitz.
With the extraordinary commitment of their team, the
many partners throughout the city and the technical
teams of Lang-Medientechnik, Panirama and Zeusaudio,
who all went above and beyond what they were
paid for, almost everything that we had set out and planned
was realized. Our thanks go to a public that was
not too fatigued to visit the LICHTSTROEME night after
night and our tour guides wowed us with unwavering
enthusiasm. Our special thanks are dedicated to all
involved artists and designers without whom the
LICHTSTROEME could not even be envisioned. Once
again all of them impressed us with their reliability
with which they coped with the stressful undertaking
of synchronizing artistic concepts, technical capabilities
and safety requirements. Thank you all for an extraordinary
experience - also in behalf of Tom Groll, my
long-time partner in the curatorial work.
Bettina Pelz
Curator