Light works by Michael Simon

Dan Emond, owner of Flux Lighting and Candela's event co-ordinator, emphasizes that Candela is anything but an industrial design exhibition. "In this show, you are not looking at table lamps or ceiling fixtures, but rather the light as an object itself. It is about looking at the effects of light, where it is coming from and what it is doing."

Candela features a variety of projects by artists at all stages in their careers, from elaborately illuminated sculptural installations to backlit photo-collages and including interactive LED systems. Some participants such as Ross Nicholson and Kenneth Emig are established light artists, while others like Sara L'Esperance, Josh Coulas and Erika Ferrarin have taken the show as an opportunity to introduce lighting into their already existing art practices. "Some artists have worked with light before," explains Emond. "Others are interior designers, information technologists and architects. It is a great mix of technology and fine art."

Cube Gallery curator Don Monet notes that this distinctive exhibition presents unique logistical challenges. "You can't have light without dark," he explains. "The trick with this show is to figure out how to create pools of darkness - essentially, how to un-light the gallery."

This is the second year that Candela has been presented by Emond and his colleagues at Cube Gallery. "We were not sure what the reaction would be last year, but by the time the show opened, the support from our sponsors and the community was so positive, we knew it would become more than a one-time event."

Candela was such a success that its organizers have decided to donate a portion of this year's proceeds to the Ottawa branch of Habitat for Humanity. "We have been able to donate all the lighting for two homes in Stittsville," says Emond. "It feels great to be able to bring light into these people's lives."

Candela kicks off its 10-day showing Thursday (September 20) with a vernissage and cocktail party, and continues its opening festivities on Friday (September 21), when DJ Andrew O'Malley will be spinning at Cube until midnight. "The opening parties, just like the exhibit, are a feast for the senses," says Monet. Get there early though - you don't want to be left in the dark. Candela runs from September 20 to 30 at Cube Gallery. For more info, visit www.candelaart.com.
 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Location, Location     Cube Gallery is in Hintonburg's QUAD Arts District NOT in Westboro.
Charles Reynolds		September 21st, 2007

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