The transformation of Trillium Park into Lumière, The Art of Light turned Ontario Place into a free outdoor exhibition that explored motion, sound and time.
Among the featured artists, several Ontario-based creators offered different interpretations of the theme, "Rhythms of light: Motion, sound and time.”
Toronto-based composer Melissa Joakim creates work centred on light. With extensive experience in lighting and installation design, she said her piece, Moment, explores themes of mortality, change, and the passage of time.
“The whole theme for this festival this year is about the rhythm of time. I responded to that by thinking about the present. I think of it as a pinprick, a moment of time. That made me think about stars, how they form and come to life, and then sort of dissipate and reform into other stars. I thought that was a really good metaphor for the past, present, and future,” she said.
Joakim said that when she first started her journey in art, she did not know what she wanted to do.
“I went in, I saw a puppet show, and I was like, I am going to make puppets. I am really bad at sewing and doing props. I tried it in a wholesome way. I found that I am in the right building, but I am just in the wrong room,” she said.
She said it was through interacting with other aspects of music that she found her style.
“When I started my actual career, it took a while to find my footing as a lighting designer. I did a lot of different things in terms of theater production, technical management. I did a lot of apprenticeships and assisting. You find that your artistic voice is something that takes a long time to develop. If you develop it too quickly, I think you get kind of locked into a style,” she said.
Joakim said it took about 50 hours of work to create the piece, including research, programming, and the fabricator’s time setup.
Toronto-based composer and multisensory sound sculpture artist Wintana Hagos said her piece has interactive sounds with shifting light and music that move together in harmony.
Hagos’ piece Blueberry Babies Signal Path features a field of sound flowing through a custom speaker originally built with repurposed church bells. Hagos said her work focuses on combining a sound wave of memories.
Hagos said a lot of her work focuses on the attempt to take attributes of travel, light, sound, and resurface memories she has of her mom from her childhood. She said it was the first time she ever used sound sculpture.
“I used a deconstructed speaker, so a speaker concept, and that was cool. I was like, this is sick. It just made me realize you can really expose a lot. We just went on a hunt for different materials, thinking how we could make speakers this time around, this one being considered ceremonial, and so the use of church bells was a perfect fit. That is how we did that. I have always wanted my work to be exposed in that way,” she said.
Queer Indigenous artist Tyler Burey creates work reflecting queer identity, intimacy, and the body. His installation, We Move Together explores the symbolism of dance, which he took part in from a young age. Burey said he blends reflection, sound, and light in his work.
At night, the sculpture transformed into a vibrant display of colour and light, revealing the inner workings of the installation. Burley said it is his third year having his work featured in Lumière.
Burley said he went to OCAD University in 2019 and graduated in 2024, and since then, he’s been working as a full-time artist.
He said self-expression has an influence on most of his work.
“Movement and dance is something that is a very common theme within my work. It’s something that exemplifies self-expression to me. I find those types of situations where dance is involved, where I am able to be my most authentic self,” he said.
Burley said authentic work helps people connect more deeply with the pieces on display.
“People have an easier time connecting when you are saying something authentic about yourself, whether or not it be about my queer identity or my indigenous identity or any other aspect. I find that it is with that root of authenticity that allows people in,” he said.
He said the fear of putting yourself out there is something he experienced, but it brought him closer to the community.
“It’s daunting to sort of put something so personal of yourself out into the public for everybody to see. But it is also extremely rewarding as well. I think that what has driven me to continue doing it is exactly that, is the amount of people that it does resonate with, even though it is something that sometimes you just exist within your realm, it also exists with so many other people,” he said.
Jennifer Rong, who said this is her third time at Lumière, said she had a great experience.
“All the stuff that they have here is really fun, and it’s a nice thing to do in the winter, and it’s often interactive too. I found this year there are even more aspects to the event, so I really enjoyed that,’’ Rong said.
The exhibit, located at 955 Lakeshore Blvd. W., ran from Feb.16 to March 27
