The River of Light returned to Liverpool on Friday taking over the waterfront, with 12 new creations brought by international artists.
The theme of this year’s free family event is ‘play.’
Labour councillor Harry Doyle said: “The reason we chose play is because we know that people love to interact with the installations across the city, so we are giving people that power to not just view them, but also engage with them.”
‘Impulse’ is one of the interactive instillations this year located on the Pier Head, with 15 see-saws providing a playground for all ages.
Another immersive instillation this year is the ‘Light battle III’, which features six bicycles on opposite sides of an arch. Participants compete against each other in a race on the bikes, with the lights getting ore intense with speed.
There are also accessible bikes for wheelchair users. Cllr Doyle said accessibility has always been an important factor in the event: “The River of Light is for anyone and everyone and we also have a quiet hour when the River of Light is taking place, so that neurodivergent people can still get the full experience without the loud crowds.”
‘Bubblesque,’ has been created by artist Atelier Sisu as a part of their ‘Bubble-tecture’ collection. Illuminated bubbles fill the body of water at Mann Island, and have been popular with visitors this year.
Leaders of Atelier Sisu, Renzo B. Larriviere and Zara Pasfield said the concept of Bubblesque is “about fragility of life but also about how beautiful life is . Bubbles are beautiful but they are momentary”.
They added: “We are trying to play on the audiences nostalgic idea of a bubble bath , something from our childhood which we are all familiar with.”
The River of Light will be free to visit until November 5 from 5pm-9pm.
Featured image (c) Romanie Smith
