The exhibition “Lunapark 2000” in the museum’s ground floor gallery brings together a number of outstanding examples of light art from the Marli Hoppe-Ritter Collection. These radiant works have all been made since the turn of the millennium. They stand for the unflagging interest that artists have evinced to this day in the artistic potential of light.

Ever since light art reached its initial peak in Europe around 1960, the artistic interest in light as a material has remained unflagging, the only difference being that the actual light sources and the methods the artists use have kept abreast of the technical advances. Thus not only neon tubes but in many cases LEDs are used today to produce surprising effects in combination with micro-controllers and computer-assisted electronics.

The exhibition “Lunapark 2000” gives a small impression of the wide range of possibilities that have arisen in recent years for handling the medium of light. While Maurizio Nannucci has employed the techniques used for illuminated adverts and combined powerfully coloured light sources with the emotionally charged word LOVE to create a large, multi-coloured piece, François Morellet succeeds in producing works with a humorous streak using glaring neon light in gleaming white and cool blue. Brigitte Kowanz explores the strongly spatial effect created by light when combined with mirrors – to highly aesthetic effect. Likewise Hans Kotter makes use in his illusionist light tunnel object of the bewildering sense of depth created by mirrors, while combining this however with an opulent play of radiant colours. That high tech and poetry do not have to be antitheses is demonstrated by Miriam Prantl’s gently pulsating coloured installation GATES, which create a relaxed, meditative atmosphere.

Through their diversity, these and a number of other works from the Collection give insights into the fascinating variety of ways in which artificial light is employed in contemporary art.  
 
_{Artists in the exhibition:
Angela Bulloch, Hans Kotter, Brigitte Kowanz, François Morellet, Maurizio Nannucci, Miriam Prantl, rosalie}