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Muma turned Lausanne: 127'444 candles 31.7.06, photos

by syklop · August 1, 2006

Last night, ride in Lausanne to see, in the city center, the "event" created by Muma, catalan artist, the streets of the old town of St-François in the Castle. 45 minutes of early evening thunderstorm caught the people of Lausanne: there was a crowd, and some places were completely blocked (stairs of the market, the Cathedral esplanade, for example). But the show was worth… the candle.

It was splendid. A sparsely populated, but beautiful.

Bravo to the more than a thousand volunteers who have worked for the success of this event: Ca out of the ordinary, and it was successful.

Her quick press of the ATS:

The Muma artist turn on Lausanne: lights on the city

LAUSANNE – Muma artist and nearly a thousand volunteers have "turned on" Lausanne. When night falls, the pedestrian streets and the surroundings of the Cathedral have sparkled a soft light, despite a downpour in early evening, which was nearly everything to fail.

In early evening, volunteers filed on the floor 127'444 white candles and candle holders, according to the tracks designed by Muma. "It rained three quarters of an hour and I feared difficulties, but everything is fine," said the catalan, established artist for 20 years in Lausanne.

Muma welcomes this success. His goal was to revive, for one night at least, the social link between the inhabitants: "more than a thousand volunteers participated and several thousand people have roamed the streets," said Muma.

With the agreement of the city public lighting is stayed off until end of event. Ditto for the windows of most of the stores. "We had to go door to door to convince traders to turn off their lights. It was a colossal, but most have played the game,"notes Muma.

The artist was not his first attempt with "Allumons Lausanne". In 2003, he did flicker 78'000 candles in the sky of Girona, in Spain. The following year, he would light up Assens (VD), Vallauris (F) then Barcelona. In 2007, this "social sculptor" plans to turn the District of Montmartre, in Paris. (ats / July 31, 2006 21:21)

And… some pictures (taken with a digital pocket… so please be forgiving…)