A magical journey into the realm of fiction and fairy tales will transform one of the city’s most recognisable buildings during next month’s spellbinding Light Night Leeds.
The BookBinder is set to be one of the highly-anticipated cultural event’s most spectacular installations when it is projected onto the façade of the Queens Hotel on 24 and 25 October 2024.
A collaboration with the British Library, the enchanting, large-scale artwork is inspired by their vast collection, and features a stunning, specially commissioned animation and an immersive soundscape.
Led by a mischievous and powerful fairy tale figure, visitors can gather on the newly redeveloped City Square to watch a cast of birds, beasts and boats come to life across the iconic hotel.
Artists Illuminos, made up of brothers Rob and Matt Vale, were inspired by the British Library’s Flickr Commons collection, and have scoured its millions of images to create The BookBinder.
Rob Vale, from Illuminos, said:
We’re delighted to be bringing a new and exciting piece to Light Night Leeds, working directly with the team at the British Library to bring some of the remarkable gems that can be found in their Flickr Commons collection to life through The BookBinder.
Their Flickr archive is an absolute treasure trove of unexpected, strange and fantastical drawings, prints and images, and we’ve loved diving into this world to conjure up The BookBinder.
Jamie Andrews, Director of Public Engagement at the British Library, added:
At the British Library we are thrilled to again be involved with Light Night Leeds, a unique festival that brings art into public spaces in the city, brightening up dark autumn evenings. We’re delighted that this year Illuminos has taken inspiration from our Flickr Commons collection, which offers public access to millions of images and has formed the design behind The BookBinder, a beautiful, immersive celebration of storytelling that will delight visitors of all ages.
Our collaboration with Light Night Leeds is part of a wider commitment, as we work towards establishing a major new public space for the British Library in Leeds, to work with local people and partners to open up our collection through events in the city.
The BookBinder has been supported by insurance company Markel, based on City Square, The Queens Hotel and Schroders Personal Wealth. It forms part of Light Night Leeds, the UK’s largest light art festival where the public can engage with illuminated artworks created by artists from around the world.
Marking its 20th edition this year, Light Night Leeds will feature other large-scale projections, live street theatre and interactive installations that will incorporate some of city’s most recognisable locations.
To date, Light Night Leeds has attracted more than 1.1 million visitors to the city, with last year’s event alone seeing a record 200,000 people attending and generating an estimated £3.5m for the local economy.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said:
Light Night is always an incredible spectacle, which transforms the city and brings thousands of people together to experience something truly special.
It is also an occasion which forges important relationships and partnerships between our local businesses and cultural institutions, and we’re particularly thrilled to be working with the British Library and Markel on this year’s event and highlighting the important role they will have in Leeds for many years to come.
Light Night Leeds 2024 takes place across the city from 6pm to 10pm on October 24 and 25, 2024.
The festival is supported by Leeds City Council, Arts Council England and many generous sponsors.
More details for the programme will be revealed in the coming weeks. Visit Home – Light Night (lightnightleeds.co.uk) and follow Light Night Leeds on social media for more information.
