For the third year in a row I visit the Festival of Lights in Berlin. This year’s theme was creating tomorrow, supporting the climate pledge, so there were plenty of images of nature and renewable energy. The main three places displayed man, nature and technology on the Brandenburg Gate, Bebelsplatz and the TV tower. All up there were about 70 locations showing light installations varying from lit up trees and still images to video mapping.
The main difference with last year was that it felt like COVID was just a figment of our imagination. It was incredibly busy, with masses of people moving along Unter den Linden. Tourists and Berliners alike had come out to see the show, even on the colder and wetter days.
Bebelsplatz was one of the crowded places along the main route through Mitte. I always love Bebelsplatz since there are many installations in one place and you’re surrounded by colorful works of art. The masterpiece here was the video on Hotel de Rome, one of my favorites. It was the display of nature, with underwater world, a butterfly showing the butterfly effect and the best part of all: the desert. It showed some cacti with the intense night sky full of stars. It was incredible!
Another popular place was the park in front of the Berliner Dom. The church was lit up in bright colors, with the image changing every minute or so. On Alexanderplatz the TV tower showed different video mapping projects, while the Hackescher Markt had a display of bees. It created a cosy setting for all the restaurants on the square.
It was nice to be able to enjoy the inner city, but it’s super strange being in a crowd like that. All the home office, social distance etc. has definitely left its mark and although I’m not afraid to catch COVID, being surrounded by thousands of people is an experience I have to get used to again.
Looks cool! Nice to see that the world is opening up again but I agree that it still feels odd to be in large crowds.
Absolutely, but at the same time I missed things like this! 😀