For the project “Light Sgraffito“, created in the framework of the 2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe, the Beforelight team won the Gold Award and Platinum Project in Pillar 3 Artistic Creation (Art & Entertainment), at the Lighting Awards 2022. The innovative light installation is located in Saint Markella’s square, the heart of Chios Community in Ano Elefsina.
The Lighting Awards 2022 reward the inspiration, creativity and innovation of Greek Lighting Designers. The nominations were evaluated by a jury, consisting by renowned Greek architects and professionals in the field of lighting, academics from the country’s leading universities and highly qualified people.
Few word about the Installation
This installation is the result of the participatory planning through workshops together with the local community and is mainly inspired by the anthropological and folk traditions of the island of Chios and in particular by a medieval technique known as ‘Xysta’ also developed in Chios. More specifically, this traditional technique to cover house façade which developed in Pyrgi, Chios inspired the group to create this modern construction.
In the daylight, ‘xysta’ interact with sunlight creating shadows on a sokoro placed in the back of the installation. At night, ‘xysta’ are lighten up to stand out from the background as dark figures in contrast to certain lightened elements appearing all along the construction. This light installation creates new geometries and diverse movements of lights.
History of the Installation
The project has been developed progressively from September 2019 onwards through a composite participatory workshop that was carried out in eight phases with the participation of 15 residents of Elefsina. With Beforelight group leading this workshop, the participants became familiar with the different concepts and uses of light, the various possibilities it offers as means of expression and a tool to creatively intervene in an open public space of a neighborhood or of the city. This participatory work is reflected in the light installation looming over Ano Elefsina.
