Mikki Kunttu’s In The Light, held September 26-October 1, 2022 in Tampere, Finland, was a shining example of what a conference of live design professionals can be. Equal parts celebration, seminar, and performance exhibition, In The Light gathered attendees from around the globe to share knowledge and experience, as well as offer them world-class entertainment from ballet to rock and roll. So much more than a typical keynote conference or technology trade show, In The Light offered a truly design-based and human-focused festival unlike any other in our industry.
The opening ceremony, essentially a simple toast of gratitude, set the tone for the festival as one of humility and close camaraderie for all guests. Mikki welcomed all as equals, and presented his photo exhibition Lucid Dreams not only as a retrospective of his career, but a continuation of each creative process on stage through photography as an art form itself. “I did not feel this [was] at all any kind of a birthday celebration in my honor, but that stamp kind of refused to be removed,” Mikki mused after the event's conclusion, “The festival was created to celebrate my 30 years as a designer… retrospective, present, and future.”
This lively and welcoming focus on artistic discussion continued into the seminar sessions: Light & Shadow. Speakers LeRoy Bennet (Seven Works Designs), Benjamin Dupont (Moment Factory), Christopher Bauder (WHITEVoid), Ralph Wezorke (Lightpower), Ola Melzig (Eurovision/ American Song Contest), and of course Mikki Kunttu himself offered insights and inspiration from the past, present, and potential future of our industry.
Host and Eurovision producer Ola Melzig kept the sessions firmly in an irreverent, humorous, and often self-deprecating realm, which enhanced the accessibility of all speakers to their audience both during and after the sessions. Young designer and student participation was strong, with even far-flung American students calling in questions from back home in the States. The small-scale configuration of the event meant all attendees had opportunities for one-on-one discussions with the panelists during breaks and at follow-up gatherings. In this way, In The Light far exceeded its stated goal of bridging the gap between speaker and audience.
Offering a truly unique experience, Mikki Kunttu and the Tampere Philharmonic collaborated to stage an ambitious, awe-inspiring, one night only performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Mikki designed a massive lighting and video installation above the orchestra, invoking the aesthetics and concepts of each planet in Holst’s series of movements. Audible gasps echoed in the house as beams of interstellar light cascaded over the audience. Graceful yet bombastic, Mikki’s design carried the spirit of Holst’s music into an almost physical construction of light and shadow. Ralph Larmann was present to capture stunning pictures of this show, which are a must-see, but the truly fascinating in-person experience is something only attendees will ever receive.
A Night of Light, the final event of In The Light, was an extraordinary interdisciplinary performance spectacle spanning genres across the wide breadth of Mikki Kunttu’s career. Artists from around the world, dancers, aerialists, singers, musicians, and an especially abrasive clown provided a night of wild and stunning entertainment for a full house of Tampere locals as well as conference guests. Remarkably, these world-class performers participated in the show not just as professionals, but as friends at Mikki’s personal request. “From the start I had a strong urge to celebrate the bond between myself and all these amazing people I have met over the years. And … as importantly, to be able to bring these people together.” Mikki said. These acts ranged from a Tero Saarinen dance work revived from nearly 30 years past, to an all-new collaboration by aerial silks acrobat Mizuki Shinagawa and experimental musician Kimmo Pohjonen. “This approach was so beautifully realized in Mizuki and Kimmo’s duet as they only met [for] the first time in Tampere. I thought, ‘They could be amazing together’ and they really resonated so beautifully in each other’s presence on stage.” The performances possessed an incredible quality, usually reserved only for the most prestigious of institutions, each piece a visual marvel of design and human ability.
The evening ended with a raucous show by Michael Monroe, energizing guests with rock concert fury as an emotional capstone for the entire festival. Mikki called this his most unforgettable moment, “...to get on stage with my kids at the end of Michael Monroe’s set as he was doing the Joey Ramone version of ”What a Wonderful World” and to be joined by all the artists of the evening. What a way to end the festival! Every day of the Festival week was quite emotional, as there were so many good friends there from both sides of the big water, so many friends and family and, most importantly, my three kids.”
Attendees, separate from the local ticket holders, were encouraged to join an after-party on the stage after the show with all the performers, continuing the Festival's mission to genuinely connect participants to each other and artists from around the world.
While there are many wonderful conferences in our industry, few of them manage to achieve such a genuine focus on personal connection and design inspiration as Mikki and all his collaborators in Tampere achieved with In The Light. A dizzying array of artistic talent supported a well-crafted seminar structure that kept each day unique, lively, intriguing, and delightful. Attendees left knowing they had experienced something truly different and powerful within our field. Yet, Mikki already has plans in the works to bring this festival to the United States. If we are lucky, we will be looking at something equally inspiring coming in 2023.
Editor's note: Author Luther Frank will be leading the Lighting Programming Summit and The Art of Programming—Lighting Consoles at LDI, the week of November 14-20, 2022. Read more about that here: Lighting Summit Tackles Programing And Busking.