Kitchener (then called Berlin) was first illuminated by gas-powered artificial light in the 1880s, and now hosts a multiplicity of street light designs, from the purely functional to the characteristic standards and sphere luminaires found in heritage neighbourhoods.
Night Light Path, created for Night\Shift 2016, presents a playful approach to the typically solid and uniform appearance of urban street lights. Rather than rigid standards lifting solid glass fixtures, a pathway of colourful lights inside balloons are anchored by inverted “standards” made of string.
This sequence of lights creates an alternative walking route through Civic Centre Park, blazing an ephemeral path between Kitchener Public Library and the K-W Art Gallery. Swaying in the breeze and reacting to visitors’ touch, Night Light Path turns the solidity of street furniture into an irreverent display of movement and colour.
Thank you to Richard McLean, Michelle Hunniford, CertaPro Painters and the Victoria Party Store for assistance in realizing this installation.
Magdalena Miłosz 