INTERVIEW Jennifer Kolb
PUBLISHED 20 FEB 2025
Bettina Pelz and Tom Groll are the founding curators of LICHTROUTEN. In 2002, they developed a curatorial concept with the leitmotif to feature light as a material and medium in visual arts and design in public spaces. In manifold collaborations with artists and designers, universities and research institutions, companies, places of practice, craft enterprises, event engineering, and administration, the LICHTROUTEN emerged as a city marketing project — from the begining directed by the LSM City Marekting.
Between 2002 and 2018, eight editions were realized that shaped the culture of the City of Light. In Europe, the LICHTROUTEN – alongside LUX Helsinki, LUCI D’ ARTISTA in Turin, and FETE DES LUMIERES in Lyon – are among the oldest festivals of light as they are initiated in many cities today. Bettina Pelz answered the questions during the preparations for the next edition this year.
// For us Lüdenscheid residents, the LICHTROUTEN are a unique festival of light. How does it feel to run this festival, and what does it mean to you personally to be at the helm of this creative project?
The LICHTROUTEN are a joint project: it needed the city’s initiative, and without Phillip Nieland’s (LSM) commitment, there would not have been this new start. Without diverse partnerships and broad support, such a festival would not be feasible; without the assistants, the LICHTROUTEN would be without thrust. We represent the perspective of art and the artists in the mix of city administration, city marketing, and event management. We don’t have the impression that we are directing but that we are bundling energies.
Tom and I work jointly on the concept, the selection of locations and artists. While his focus in production is on the complex technical implementation; mine is on communication, participation, and audience support. I also mentor the YOUNG MASTERS, artists and curators, train the assistants, and train supporting company employees. This means that conceptual ideas are always integrated into all aspects and we continue to develop the project together.
// How do you select the artists who take part in LICHTROUTEN?
I travel a lot, visit other festivals, and work as a freelance curator in different contexts and cultures. Since 2002, I have curated over 60 exhibition projects, mainly in Europe and Africa. I am also involved with young artists and curators in various learning environments. Basecillay, I am always in search mode.
Tom is active as an artist both in the region and internationally, and also his radar is always “on.” In preparation, we exchange ideas a lot, introduce ourselves and artists, and gradually, a common idea emerges as to who or what can find a place in Lüdenscheid.
In addition, this year, we invited artists worldwide to apply for the Gothaer Parkplatz location for the first time on an open call. Thanks to the international network of the Festivals of Light ILO and thanks to social media, we had a lot of compelling submissions. The jury was the Lichtrouten collective. Over the many years of LICHTROUTEN, fine expertise has developed here. It was an absolute pleasure to select collectively – a new element we want to continue in the coming years.
And something else is new: As part of the YOUNG MASTERS PROGRAM, six young curators made proposals and built a program together. Here, too, exciting exhibition contributions of a smaller scale were generated. These were initially only to be shown in the Forum, but in the end, they infiltrated the entire program. They can be found in the Forum, at Strodel & Jäger, in the Logenhaus, and the attic of the VHS.
// What is particularly important to you when working with artists?
We look for artists who are explicitly familiar with light and light-based media and who find new, surprising, unconventional ways to work with it artistically. Half of the works at LICHTROUTEN are site-specific projects developed with us and will only be shown in Lüdenscheid. For artists, this means they have to deal with the location and local context with our theme and ideas. In general, committed and qualitative collaboration is an essential criterion for us. Every edition of LICHTROUTEN is a prototype with many uncertainties that we overcome together and in solidarity, even under pressure.
// And how do you organize the creative exchange between the artists and the festival team?
There is a kind of organic exchange between the artists and the production team; they work together in many areas beforehand. Otherwise, we prepare the coordination team and the assistants well; they immerse themselves in the working methods and careers of the artists in advance. Once everyone is on-site, there are joint meetings, such as the ARTISTS’ HUB, where all the artists present their works. During LICHTROUTEN, there is also a shared coworking space – in the Kulturhaus – where we share space, tables, and internet access. And after work, we all meet up in the night bar: artists and curators, technicians and assistants usually have a good time together.
// What role does local and international networking play in LICHTROUTEN? How does the festival ensure that artists and professionals from all over the world come together?
Tom and I are both people who think in mycelia and networks. Local, national, and international networking is part of our DNA. This is also reflected in the structure and processes of the festival. In the early years, we were the ones who established and maintained international connections. Today, we benefit from organizations such as the International Network of Festivals of Light ILO, which now exists.
There will be an opening program for professional visitors with contributions from artists, curators and other experts. We create spaces for artistic and curatorial discourses, but also for the discussion of socio-cuktural issues. This year, we are reflecting about the role of festivals of light in socio-political debates and democratic culture. The ecological commitment to Dark Skies is also on the agenda, as is the question of how traditional gender structures are reflected in festival programs.
// How do you see the role of LICHTROUTEN in the coming years concerning international dialog and the further development of light art and lighting technology?
The festivals of light and the enormous public interest in them make it possible for many artists to realize projects that have not yet found a place in the classic art context: the technology is usually too new, too complicated, or too expensive. Temporary festivals provide space for experimental approaches and new ideas. If we realize the LICHTROUTEN annually or biennially, we could become a festival with momentum again.
// How important is it for you to involve the citizens of Lüdenscheid in the festival? Are there special initiatives or programs involving the local community in the festival events?
Many craft and technical businesses are involved in the LICHTROUTEN; without this local expertise, the LICHTROUTEN would not be possible. And not without the assistants either: Lüdenscheid residents have been meeting with me since January, and jointly, we are learning about the history of the locations, the unique features of the technology used, and the artistic working methods. They are the ambassadors of the LICHTROUTEN.
We are also a local platform: we work with local artists, we cooperate with initiatives such as the Slowflower Residency at Neuenhof Castle, we are showing a fantastic black light installation by the SOS Children’s Village, among other things. There will be a lot going on in the city – thanks to the many local initiatives.
// Lüdenscheid is a city with a long history and a unique character. How has the city influenced the concept of the festival? Are specific places or aspects in Lüdenscheid significant to you?
We have already dealt with many aspects of the city, such as biotopes (2003), playgrounds (2004), parking garages (2005), cemeteries (2006), factories (2010) and places of transformation (2018). This year, the shopping centers that have changed the cityscape since the 1960s are in our focus: The “Kohns Haus” on Altenaer Straße (today: TUMO), the Sauerland-Center, the City-Center, the Stern-Center, and the Forum are our primary venues. All art and cultural institutions are also involved.
I find the places that are not always open to the public and that we can open for the LIGHT ROUTES particularly special. We are going to the Logenhaus and the VHS’s attic this year. I’m sure that not everyone in Lüdenscheid has been there.
// Technology and production play a decisive role at LICHTROUTEN. How do you integrate technological innovations into the artistic design of the festival, and how does technology influence the perception of the artworks?
Light and light-based media and their technologies have changed massively over the last 20 years. We have accompanied these developments and have always tried to be innovative. We already had LED-based installations in the early years when LED technology took off. We also had sensor-based installations that reacted to current weather data or installations that could be controlled by voice. We made the first façade projections with 3,000 lm projectors; today, we use 30,000 lm projectors almost everywhere, which have only been available since 2007. The Panasonic RZ31 laser projectors, which we have at many locations, came onto the market in 2016. There are now 60,000 ANSI lumen projectors with 4K resolution — we left that for next time. Artistic concepts and technical qualities must be synchronized in the best possible way. Where this succeeds, and if you think about neither one nor the other, we generate space for amazement.
// How has the perception of the festival changed among the general public?
We’ll see when the LICHTROUTEN will be on. In the meantime, there are many festivals of light with very different qualities. I hope we can cbe a unique moment in the city’s calendar again.
// And how has the local art scene changed over the years?
We see ourselves first and foremost as a local event; most of our visitors are from Lüdenscheid and the region. Tom Groll, Kuno Seltmann, Matthes Boeser, Davis Pahl, and Thomas Schielke are creative minds at home in the city. We are delighted that they are here.
// When you look back on the creation of LICHTROUTEN, what fills you with the most pride? Is there a particular memory or experience that sticks out and symbolizes the festival’s success?
The best moment is now that the LICHTROUTEN are back. We are genuinely excited to build again and thank everyone who has made this possible with their thoughts, good words, and many tangible deeds.
FEATURED IMAGE
Tom Groll, Bettina Pelz: Lichtgrund. LICHTROUTEN Luedenscheid 2006. Photo: Claus Langer.