Mainz Aglow 2024

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Students at Mainz University of Applied Sciences light up the city once again

From the Rheingoldhalle to Schillerplatz: Students at Mainz University of Applied Sciences are once again artistically transforming downtown Mainz. After a successful start last year, the second annual Mainz leuchtet – Das Late Light Festival will take place from September 26 to 28, 2024. Every day from 8 pm to 11 pm, prominent buildings in the heart of the city will be illuminated by light and video projections. The festival will also include a vibrant program with guided tours of the city and activities by stakeholders involved in the city’s downtown area.

Like at the event’s premiere in 2023, students and faculty from the Department of Time-Based Media developed a series of impressive light installations and video projections (called mappings) this year to present the various prominent buildings in a completely new light. Once again, different stories will be told on the building facades – visually captivating and accompanied by emotional music.

The following buildings will be illuminated during Mainz leuchtet – Das Late Light Festival 2024: Jockel-Fuchs-Platz/Rheingoldhalle, das macht SiNN (Markt), the Cathedral of St. Martin (east choir, St. Gotthard Chapel), Mainz State Theater, Deutsche Bank (Ludwigsstraße), Osteiner Hof (Schillerplatz), Kirschgarten, and the LUX Pavilion. Parallel to the installations, an exhibition in the LUX Pavilion in Ludwigsstraße will take a look behind the scenes of the joint project.

The light festival will be complemented by accompanying offers and activities along the Mile of Lights: Numerous stakeholders of the city’s downtown area will open their stores until 10 pm on Saturday, September 28, during the Long Night. Some of the retailers and restaurateurs are also preparing special offers based around the theme of “light”.

Together with the Mainz Tourist Guide Association (Gästeführerverband Mainz e.V.), mainzplus CITYMARKETING is offering exclusive city tours that focus on the illuminations being shown and can be booked on the website.

The numerous restaurants and cafés will be open during the event and look forward to welcoming visitors. In addition, a LichterBar or light bar, has been set up in the west foyer of the Rheingoldhalle (access on Jockel-Fuchs-Platz). It is a project run by trainees from mainzplus CITYMARKETING and offers a place to linger with good drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.

The organizer of Mainz leuchtet – Das Late Light Festival is mainzplus CITYMARKETING GmbH in collaboration with the state capital of Mainz. Mainz University of Applied Sciences is responsible for the artistic direction – the installations were designed by the Time-based Media degree program.

On Thursday evening, September 26, 2024, Mayor Nino Haase, the management of mainzplus CITYMARKETING (Katja Mailahn and Marc André Glöckner) and University President Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman officially kicked off the event at Jockel-Fuchs-Platz/Rathausplateau.

Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman is delighted about the second edition of the Late Light Festival: “As a university, we are extremely proud of ‘Mainz leuchtet’, a project that is literally a shining example of the creativity and commitment of our students and lecturers and at the same time also of the cooperation with the city of Mainz and mainzplus CITYMARKETING. The festival is a highlight on the city’s cultural calendar. It brings people together, inspires and revitalizes the city in a unique way. As a university, we are delighted to be able to contribute to the attractiveness of our city with this project.”

Nino Haase, Mayor of the state capital of Mainz, is looking forward to the event: “The idea for the ‘Mainz leuchtet’ project dates back to the COVID-19 period, with the aim of promoting the city’s downtown stakeholders through events and giving locals and tourists a glimmer of light - in the truest sense of the word. Unfortunately, this idea was delayed until 2023, but I still remember the astonished faces and spontaneous applause at the rousing premiere. The project was a great success. And it was clear to everyone that the event had struck a chord and that it must be permanently enshrined as an event in Mainz with constant innovation. I am therefore very proud that we are now entering the second year of its implementation – and we will once again experience many creative insights and outlooks. The anticipation is huge, because ‘Mainz leuchtet’ is a truly unique experience. And that is precisely why I would like to thank all those involved in the project for their great commitment and ideas for implementing the 2024 edition.”

“The successful premiere of ‘Mainz leuchtet’ 2023 was very moving and inspired us to put on another high-quality event this year. With the involvement of all our staff and the local stakeholders, we want to let the city shine in a special light for the second time. The conscious decision to spread the event across the entire city center over three days has proven its value. In addition to the creative illuminations, it is worth taking advantage of the accompanying programs and activities of the downtown stakeholders involved. I would like to thank the co-initiators and the sponsors and partners who made this event possible,” state Katja Mailahn and Marc André Glöckner, Managing Directors of the organizer mainzplus CITYMARKETING.

The individual venues:

Jockel-Fuchs-Platz:

An oversized disco ball and a projection bus transform Jockel-Fuchs-Platz into a poetic space.

Rheingoldhalle (south foyer):

In this interactive forest installation, a piece of displaced nature returns to the city and encourages everyone to become nocturnal themselves and rediscover a habitat with the forest dwellers. (Projection and interaction: Moritz Göbel, Luca Storch, and Meike Schalk)

das macht SiNN:

When projected onto the façade of the corner building on Domplatz, windows will appear in a wide variety of shapes and styles. There is also an interactive component that allows viewers to actively participate in the design. The result is a lively and dynamic art installation that is constantly changing. (Interactive projection: Tobias Bettin and Dominik Boffo)

St. Martin's Cathedral (east choir):

The projections take the audience on a journey around the cathedral and show it in a way that no one has ever seen it before. (Projection: Niklas Arnold & Nils Kraft)

St. Martin's Cathedral (St. Gotthard Chapel):

An animation composed of words and images is dedicated to the deep emotional world of love. (Projection: Joshua Schenkelberger)

Mainz State Theater:

A magic show with unexpected protagonists transports the audience into a strange world. (Projection: Selim Kilinc and Patrick Wild/Music: Nico Maximilian and Zakhar Valaha)

Deutsche Bank:

The facade of Deutsche Bank is transformed into an interactive playground. The audience is invited to intervene and influence the specially composed music and constantly regenerating graphics. (Interactive projection and sound: Jan Winter and Malte Kropp)

Osteiner Hof:

Two animated films will be displayed on the Osteiner Hof building. The first 3D animation highlights the conflict between a fierce golem and a small, feisty artist. The second animation, an interplay of analog and digital design elements, shows a creature moving through various levels and embarking on a journey through picturesque backdrops. (Projection: Nick Pajunk and Tom Braunschedel/Music: Sebastian Frey; Projection: Isabell Čamaj/Sound design: Isabell Čamaj and Shana Flick)

Kirschgarten:

Numerous small animations pick up on the design elements of the half-timbered houses and tell a story. (Projection: Andreas Schmidt)

Bastion von Schönborn:

The Bastion von Schönborn illuminates the entire area around the Kastel beach and the Reduit in Mainz-Kastel. Enjoy delicious food in the restaurant or on the terrace in good weather. Relax under the chestnut trees or directly on the beach with a breathtaking view of the illuminated city of Mainz. The perfect atmosphere is provided by music for chilling on Thursday, club music with Roxy Mainz on Friday, and 80s beats with DJ Jörg on Saturday.

Bonus projection (LUX):

An interactive floor projection will take place in front of the LUX building, linking “Mainz leuchtet” to the current exhibition at the LUX. (Projection: Maryna Komisarova)

Bus tour:

Pop-up club: During Mainz leuchtet you can dance the night away at various locations around the city. The Time-Based Media team will be out and about with their mobile projection unit, transforming urban spaces into a vibrant dance floor at a variety of locations.