From the 5th to 8th February, an enchanting display of artwork lit up the city of Aberdeen following the 12th annual return of SPECTRA – Scotland’s Festival of Light.
The free public event included exhibits in the Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen Art Gallery, St Nicholas Kirkyard and Marischal College. ‘Be Curious’ was the theme of this year’s festival, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
The Fire Garden
The Fire Garden saw the Union Terrace Gardens host rustic, mechanical sculptures of fire. The exhibition was crafted by some of the UK’s leading metal sculptors and produced by Salford-based outdoor arts experts, Walk the Plank. 360° degrees of flames lit up the industrial displays of artwork, many of which included words and sentences which left viewers wondering about its deeper meaning.
Solace
Solace, by Amelia Kosminsky, was held at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Hand-made and hand-sewn lanterns hung from the ceiling of the Remembrance Hall, offering light and hope to its viewers, making them pause and feel the moment. Described as “Solace captures a suspended moment in time,” this exhibit certainly brought time to a standstill as audiences watched in awe of its peace and tranquility.
Flux
Also held in Aberdeen Art Gallery was Flux, By Collectif Scale. This illuminating display debuted in 2021 at the Constellations de Metz, France. The kinetic art installation, inspired by complexities of nature, was an articulately put together display composed of 48 strips of light arranged in a circle. The structure moved at varying speeds along with its composition, and was controlled in real-time. The display offered a different angle depending on where it was being viewed – watching from the upper viewing areas offered a completely different perspective – and one even more hypnotising.
Flower Field
Artist Jig Cochrane and team at Jigantics created a colourful display of nature in a newly imagined way. An almost otherworldly experience, attendees found themselves immersed in flowers, ranging from small, yet-to-bloom buds, to towering blooms as tall as the trees that surrounded them. This scene of spring brought a contrast to the otherwise somber atmosphere of the St Nicholas Kirkyard graves/grave site.
Follow Your Heart
After viewing the scene of flowers, attendees were bid adieu with bright and colourful heart symbols as they exited the Kirkyard. Their electric colours designed by Laura Curran were accompanied by an original marimba composition. This particular display was commissioned as part of SPECTRA 2026’S Micro-Commission Programme.
Parallels
Architecture Social Club (ASC) took over Broad Street (Marischal College). Its unique approach to light and sound, along with the addition of smoke, created an almost concert-like atmosphere. This abstract display was composed of thousands of fragmented laser beams, which were converted from moving film reflecting off of thousands of precise mirrors placed at degree accuracy. ASC is an award-winning, multidisciplinary design studio.
Monfingu
An interactive digital artwork could be found on Broad Street, near Marischal College. The Dutch artist collective WERC used depth-camera technology in their design, so that visitors appeared on a screen in a pixel-like form.
SPECTRA provides lucrative opportunities for Aberdeen’s businesses during an already trying time. Before the festival’s arrival, Aberdeen City Council offered local businesses a one-time grant of £500 to show their support for the event. Last year there were over 100,000 visitors to the festival across the four-day period, shared by Councillor Martin Grieg. As culture spokesperson for the council, he spoke highly of the event’s advantages for Aberdeen’s struggling city centre:
“Our one-off grants to local businesses are intended to make the city and the city centre even more vibrant during the period of the Spectra displays. This has become a very popular annual event and we want the business community to benefit as much as possible from the increased footfall.”
