Art and Light was the theme of the 11th International Kunstsommer Arnsberg (Arnsberg International Summer of Art), which ran from the 22 June to 5 August. The festival, in the historic capital of the Dukedom of Westfalia in Germany's Sauerland included a pair of sculptures equipped with ultra-modern LED systems - the work of the designer Heinz F.W. Stahl and sculptor Friedrich Freiburg.
The two objects - one (Lichtobjekt) an obelisk and the other (Ein heißes Eisen) a giant pair of pliers - are cast in concrete and attracted a great deal of attention on the Ruhr Promenade - especially at night, as Stahl and Freiburg equipped the two sculptures with acrylic glass tubes fitted with integrated LED diodes from VLM of Mettmann that offer a spectacular play of colours.
"VLM provided me with tremendous support throughout this project," said Heinz F.W. Stahl, "but the company would in any case have been my first choice, as it offers such a wide range of LED-based luminaries."
Of the origins of the idea, Stahl adds: "For Friedrich Freiburg and myself, it was originally an experiment, but when we saw the results, even we were surprised by the effect. For this reason, we plan to continue in the same direction."
(Jim Evans)
