On December 23 and 25, as part of the light art tour “CHRISTMAS LIGHT FOR HOPE”, projections of Christmas-themed abstractions, ornaments and many other Ukrainian symbols shone on the capital’s buildings. On Saturday, December 24, the light route was canceled due to the tragedy in Kherson, where enemy fire led to numerous casualties.
Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter and his team deliberately refused to celebrate Christmas with their families as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Since many Ukrainians cannot celebrate as usual due to russian armed aggression. Gerry Hofstetter, using his own generator, shared light and hope with Ukrainians and lit up the buildings of the capital’s cultural sites.
“Gerry Hofstetter – the world-famous Swiss light artist – came to visit us with his lighting equipment. It was he who turned the iceberg into the Titanic, the Eiger mountain into a tiger, and the Matterhorn into large national flags. These days he spent his art tour in Kyiv. It is very symbolic that at a time when russia is trying to deprive us of light, we, together with our European friends, can return this light. At least in such an artistic way. Thank you Gerry Hofstetter and his team for a wonderful Christmas present and we look forward to visiting us again,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
The patterns could be seen on December 23 – at St. Andrew’s Church, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, the bell tower of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and the bell tower of St. Sophia’s Cathedral, and on December 25, the Motherland monument, the Central Railway Station, the Church of St. Nicholas, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine were illuminated. Some projections will be turned into NFTs, and the funds will be directed to the next solidarity action.
The project was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the State Agency of Ukraine on Arts and Artistic Education, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Swiss Confederation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
