Alexander Reichstein: They Were Here / Ghostly Guests
In UV light, figures from the past come to life like ghosts, on-going since 2015
THEY WERE HERE brings people from other times and places to life. I think people never truly disappear without a trace: they stay there as long as we remember them and imagine them. Persons from the past wander in the park, meet each other in the street and enjoy fresh air on the balcony. I have created glowing, almost immaterial figures from different times to be displayed in a historically important environment and to be met by today’s inhabitants. In UV light, figures bent from wire and sprayed with fluorescent paint come to life like ghosts. These translucent characters blend in with their background, and surroundings of the old quarters become part of the work. The stylised figures remind on line drawings, but are three-dimensional. Now there are more than 50 natural-size figures to choose from – females and males, grown-ups and children, cats, dogs and rats. They represent different times from the ancient ages till 1940s. The project started in 2015 but is changing and growing all the time, for each display I make it site-specific. The sculptures can be placed in an old park or garden, in the old quarters or in any place with proper environment. They are resistant to wind, rain and sunshine, but sensitive to vandalism. There should be as little light as possible in the area nearby – the glowing effect works only in the darkness. Most figures stand on the ground, some sculptures have to be hanged. There is also available a musical background for the installation, a collage from fragments of music from different ages.
Academy of Print (Moscow), University of Industrial Arts (Helsinki), b. 1957, Lives in Helsinki, Finland
Information
Artwork finished in:
2015
Dimensions of the work:
Up to the amount of sculptures used, from 100 m2 till 800m2. Can be adjusted to any space.
Spaces suitable for exhibiting the work:
Outdoors, Outdoors, under a roof, Cold space (eg. a shed, a silo etc.), Semi-heated space, Heated space
Work’s durability:
Rain, Humidity, Sunlight, frost, snow - anything
Requirements for the space:
fully dark, dark (gleaming exit-lights etc. allowed)
Colouring requirements:
dark coloured
Electricity consumption:
up to the amount of UV-lights used, from 50W till 1000W
Support and other structures:
The work needs support structures, hanging points, or similar. UV-lights will be provided by the artist. The work needs audio equipment (player & speakers, to be provided by the host)
Sound:
ambient sound
Minimum height of the space:
4m
Minimum square meters of the space:
100
Building time and people required (estimate):
2-3 days (2-3 helpers) for mounting, 1 day (2 helpers) for dismantling
Artist's presence:
Artist or their representative must be present during building.
Seen before at: LUX Helsinki 2016, LUMO Oulu 2016, Helsinki city museum 2016, Bella Skyway Torun 2017, Fête de la Lumière, Chartres 2017, City of Light Jyväskylä 2017, Staro Riga 2017, Klaipeda Light Festival 2018 and 2019, Seinäjoki ValotON-festival 2019, Salo art museum 2109 and Kouvola city museum 2019, light festivals in Heinola, Hamina, Turku and Tampere 2021, Light of Jerusalem 2018, Festival of Lights Berlin 2019 and 2022, Lux Söderlångvik, Kemiö island, 2023 and 2024
On-site building:
Assembled on-site
