Recently, the Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter during his art tour through cities of Ukraine “Commemorate Light for Hope” illuminated iconic buildings in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa. The artist dedicated this event to the anniversary of the full-scale russia’s invasion of Ukraine and honored the memory of the victims of this war.
“For the anniversary of the full-scale russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I chose thematic projections related to the war. I want to wish Ukrainians bright future, confidence and strength in this difficult time for Ukraine,” said the artist Gerry Hofstetter.
For example, light projections on the theme of war and invincibility of Ukrainians appeared on the Lviv City Hall, railway station, the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church, and the Lviv National Opera. This is a leopard, as a symbol of Leopard tanks, the arrival of which awaits Ukraine, doves of peace, a Ukrainian trident and other Ukrainian symbols.
In Kyiv, the artist made projections on the building of the largest children’s hospital “Ohmatdyt”, where children’s lives have been saved for decades. Also, light paintings appeared on the buildings of Ukrposhta, the National Opera of Ukraine, and the Kyiv Central Post Office. In addition, on February 26 in Kyiv, the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Kyiv City State Administration building lit up with projections. The artist also illuminated the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the world-famous New York clarinetist Julian Milkis played the National Anthem.
“The peculiarity of Gerry’s works is that he finds his own plot for each building. For the Opera – musicians who play during air raid alarms. For Ukrposhta, there is a world-famous stamp with a ship and the release of a new stamp with Banksy’s work. For Ohmatdyt – children’s drawings. This location was the most touching – despite the frost and darkness, doctors and children went outside to see this miracle with their own eyes,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
In Odesa, hundreds of people came to see the magic of light from Gerry Hofstetter, who made symbolic and state patterns on the Odesa Opera House, the railway station, and the Porto Franco bank building.
“Gerry Hofstetter lit up our cities and iconic buildings on the anniversary of the russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He said that he will come to our Victory next time, we are waiting for you soon,” added Oleksandr Tkachenko.
The world-famous artist visited Ukraine at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the State Agency of Ukraine on Arts and Artistic Education, as well as at the initiative and support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Kyiv.
Last year Gerry Hofstetter arrived to Kyiv for Christmas to bring hope and light to Ukrainians.
The world-famous artist from Switzerland travels with a small team of four people and his own electric generator. The artist’s works include the illumination of the Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland and the largest work of art in the world – a projection of a tiger 5.3 km long on the north side of the Eiger in Switzerland – Tiger on the Eiger.
