FAD NEWS: Ugo Rondinone Creates City-Wide Celebration of Light

Key Takeaways

• MORE LIGHT spans Royal Academy, Bond Street, and a gallery exhibit.
• Rainbow poem hangs three metres above the Academy courtyard.
• Fifty‑four sunrise‑sunset flags line Bond Street, tracing a day.
• Six watercolour paintings present minimalist horizons inside the Academy.
• Project links public space, collective experience, and personal contemplation.

Pulse Analysis

London’s summer art calendar has been brightened by Ugo Rondinone’s MORE LIGHT, a site‑specific program that fuses public sculpture with gallery work. The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, traditionally a showcase for emerging and established artists, now serves as a gateway for a suspended rainbow poem that greets visitors at the courtyard entrance. This kinetic use of colour and light aligns with a broader trend of immersive installations that transform city streets into temporary galleries, drawing both locals and tourists into a shared visual narrative.

Rondinone’s long‑standing fascination with sunrise and sunset imagery is evident in the 54 flags that line Bond Street, each depicting a distinct sky moment from his 2016 series. The flags act as a chronological ribbon, guiding pedestrians through a day‑long visual rhythm. Inside the Academy, six watercolour pieces reduce the sky to essential lines and washes, inviting quiet contemplation after the external spectacle. By juxtaposing monumental public works with intimate paintings, the artist underscores light’s dual role as both a communal phenomenon and a personal meditation.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, MORE LIGHT signals a strategic partnership between cultural institutions and commercial districts, enhancing foot traffic and reinforcing the economic value of public art. The project may inspire other global cities to commission similar light‑focused installations, leveraging the universal language of illumination to attract diverse audiences. As municipalities seek to revitalize urban spaces post‑pandemic, Rondinone’s approach offers a replicable model that blends artistic rigor with accessible, city‑wide engagement.