The first examples of modern light art appeared after the discovery of electric lighting made long-term lighting safe and affordable at the end of the 19th century. Light art, however, did not become a dedicated form of art until the late 20th century, in large part due to pioneering work begun in 1969, as part of an experimental program at the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, by
Robert Irwin and
James Turrell.
Modernism, Constructivism and the Bauhaus (1920–1935) Light has been used for architectural effect throughout human history. However, the modern concept of light art emerged with the development of artificial electric
incandescent light sources and experimentation by
modern artists of the Constructivist and Bauhaus movements. The first object-based light sculpture was the
Light-Space Modulator (1922–1930), by
László Moholy-Nagy. Large-scale displays of light require the collaboration of the authorities. An early example is the utilization of the majority of the searchlights of the German Air Force by
Albert Speer for his
Cathedral of Light, a feature of the
Nazi Party rallies at Nuremberg between 1934 and 1938. Art critic Hilarie M. Sheets explains that "the interplay of dark and light has been a theme running from Greek and Roman sculpture to Renaissance painting to experimental film. But as technology advanced from the glow of the electric light bulb to the computer monitor, artists have been experimenting with actual light as material and subject."
Light design, Lumino kinetic and op art (1940–1970) The early experimental theater sets of
Josef Svoboda were crafted using solely light and water vapor in the form of micro-droplets of water scrim-like fields of light. The Czech designer and scenographic engineer's use of light and light projections were influenced by
Jindřich Honzl, who believed that "Light, which is the fourth dimension of stage poetry in space, is the most mobile and therefore the most theatrical of all material elements." In the 1960s he began using laser technology having received support from the
Siemens Company. In the 70s he began incorporating holography in his sets, stating that "What attracted me to holography was the idea of volumetric light, without any concrete support, volumes floating in space"
Projection mapping Closely associated art forms are projectors,
3-D projection, multi-media, video art, and photography where light technology
projects images rather than using light as the medium. Large light festivals and events have helped to develop the use of light on large canvases such as architectural facades, building projections, the flood lighting of buildings with colour, and interactive media facades. These forms of light art have their antecedents in new media-based,
video art and photography which are sometimes classified as light art since light and movement are important to the work.
Digital graffiti Also included in the light art genre is the so-called
light graffiti including projection onto buildings, arrangement of lighted windows in buildings, and painting with hand-held lights onto film using time exposure.
Light art installations An example of a light art installation was that of artists
Mel and Dorothy Tanner, who began adding light to their paintings and sculptures at their studio in Miami, Florida, in 1967. This was the same time period as that of
Light and Space artists
James Turrell and
Robert Irwin in Los Angeles, on the opposite U.S. coast. The Tanners worked very closely for over 40 years until Mel Tanner died in 1993. Their main project was the creation of
Lumonics that consists of their light sculptures, live projection, video, electronics and music as a total
art installation. Author and art historian
Michael Betancourt described this conceptual art as a
Gesamtkunstwerk in his book
The Lumonics Theater: The Art of Mel & Dorothy Tanner, published in 2004. Dorothy Tanner, born in 1923, continues her light art from her studio in Denver, and co-directs the Lumonics School of Light Art with Marc Billard.
Museums Many modern
art museums include light sculptures and installations in their permanent and temporary collections. The
Centre for International Light Art in
Unna,
Germany is currently the world's only museum dedicated exclusively to the collection and presentation of light art. The Light Art Museum in
Eindhoven,
Netherlands, another museum dedicated to the display of light art, closed on 5 December 2010 due to insufficient funding, but at the
Strijp-S complex, one can see the
Fakkel by Har Hollands,
Daan Roosegaarde's
Crystal as well as part of the light festival
GLOW. Many well-known art museums, such as the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the
Museum of Modern Art in New York, often have temporary light art exhibits and installations in their galleries.
Light festivals Light art festivals are public events that transform urban environments with large-scale light-based artworks, including sculptures, projections, and interactive installations. The modern era of light art festivals is often traced to the
Festival of Lights (Lyon) in France, first held in 1999, which inspired similar events worldwide. Over the following decades, light art festivals became an important platform for artists to create temporary, site-specific works that combine artistic vision with technological innovation. Many festivals incorporate themes such as cultural heritage, community engagement, and environmental awareness. Notable examples include the
Vivid Sydney festival in Australia, launched in 2009, the
i Light Marina Bay festival in Singapore (Asia's only sustainable light festival, launched in 2010), the
Signal Festival in Prague, the Ghent Light Festival in Belgium, and
Noor Riyadh in Saudi Arabia—one of the largest light art festivals in the world, attracting over 3 million visitors in 2024. Light art festivals have grown into a distinct art form, merging contemporary artistic practice with advances in lighting technology, and are now celebrated in cities across the globe. == Artists working with light ==