Reykjavík City and Veitur Utilities are holding a competition for light art in public spaces during the Winter Lights Festival 2025. The festival takes place February 6–9.
The Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavík began in 2002. It aims to brighten the dark winter days and offer residents and visitors a unique city atmosphere.
Open competition
The competition aims to engage Icelandic innovation supporting a creative, vibrant city.
It's open to all: visual artists, musicians, lighting technicians, computer scientists, light designers, or others working with electricity, light, and art. Participants can suggest locations or get advice from organizers. Interactive works or installations in public spaces are preferred. Originality is key, and various materials can be used. Remember to consider the outdoor winter setting in making the proposal.
Two works will be selected, each receiving 1,000,000 króna for creation and artist fees.
Selection Committee criteria
The Committee will consider:
- Overall concept strength
- Artistic merit of the proposal
- Impact on public space
- Practical application of the proposal
The Committee will also consider the feasibility and cost of implementing the idea as well as the team composition.
Timeline
October 16, 2024 // Competition announced, applications open
December 1, 2024 // Application deadline.
December 1–9, 2024 // Selection Committee deliberation
December 10, 2024 // Results announced
February 6–9, 2025 // Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavík
Submission and delivery
Proposals should include:
- Images and description explaining the overall concept and artistic merit of the proposal
- Cost estimate for creation and winner's fee
Submit proposals as PDF or digital presentation via WeTransfer to vetrarhatid@reykjavik.is by midnight on Sunday, December 1, 2024.
Proposals must be marked with a six-digit identification number chosen by the participant. Include a separate file with the same identification number containing participant information, including contact name, email, and phone number of the group's contact person. The Committee won't see this information. A proposal is accepted if it is received within the stated deadline and anonymity is maintained.
When you open WeTransfer, you can select 'Take me to Free' or 'Get WeTransfer Pro'. Usually, it's enough to select 'Take me to Free' unless the submitter has a Pro account.
- Download the documents, “+ Add your files”.
- Enter recipient's email: Email to vetrarhatid@reykjavik.is
- Enter submitter's email: Your email xxx@xxx.xx
- Click "Transfer".
You can send inquiries to vetrarhatid@reykjavik.is
Results
The Committee aims to finish by December 9, 2024. Once the Committee has formally finished, the anonymity will be lifted and results announced to participants.
Selection Committee:
- Salóme Rósa Þorkelsdóttir, Urban Designer and Project Manager, Office of Transport and Urban Design at the Department of Environment and Planning
- Markús Þór Andrésson, Head of Exhibitions and Communication at Reykjavík Art Museum
- Sesselja Jónasardóttir, Managing Director of the Seyðisfjörður art festival 'List í ljósi'
Reykjavík City reserves the right to contact non-winning participants about potential collaboration. If no suitable proposals are received, the Committee may reject all entries. The Committee's decision is final.