University of Tartu Museum events at the TAVA24 festival
This year, the Tartu Architectural Lighting and Light Art Festival TAVA24 will take place from the 7th to the 9th of November. During the festival, the University of Tartu Museum will collaborate with lighting designer Chiara Carucci to organise tours, discussions and workshops focusing on Toomemägi Hill, light pollution and ecological lighting principles. The tours and workshops will be led in English by Chiara Carucci, one of the authors of the Tartu Cathedral Lighting Artwork. The tours and workshops will be led in English by Chiara Carucci, one of the authors of the Tartu Cathedral Lighting Artwork. The Crazy Scientist Saturday Morning Science Experiment will be translated into Estonian.
Schedule:
- November 8th, 6 pm
Tour 'Wildlife in the Shadows: Exploring the Ecological Impact of Light Pollution' on Toomemägi Hill. The tour will begin at the main entrance of the University of Tartu Museum (Lossi 25).
The educational tour will take you for an immersive walk around Tartu Cathedral and Toomemägi Hill, exploring the local wildlife and the effects of ecological light pollution. It will highlight the impact of artificial lighting on nature and discuss how informed lighting choices can mitigate harm.
The tour is in English and is led by lighting designer Chiara Carucci and bat expert Lauri Lutsar. Tickets (5 €) can be purchased from Fienta or the University of Tartu museum shop before the beginning of the tour.
- November 8th, 8 pm
Tour 'Designing with Darkness: Ecological Lighting Principles for Urban Spaces' on Toomemägi Hill. The tour will begin at the main entrance of the University of Tartu Museum (Lossi 25).
This tour is tailored for architects, urban planners, and designers, focusing on ecological lighting design principles. With the guidance of lighting designer Chiara Carucci, participants will embark on a guided walk around the University of Tartu Museum area and engage in a hands-on design challenge, exploring sustainable lighting solutions for urban environments.
The tour is in English. Tickets (5 €) can be purchased from Fienta or the University of Tartu museum shop before the beginning of the tour.
- November 9th, 11.15 am
Crazy Scientist's Saturday Morning Science Experiment 'The Mystery of Darkness' at the University of Tartu museum (Lossi 25).
Lighting designer Chiara is very interested in animals and birds, but also light and design. During this Saturday Morning Science Experiment, we will discuss how to combine these two worlds so that we can live in cities where there is enough light for humans but where animals can also live happily and sleep at night. We invite children aged 7 to 12 to participate in this experiment and learn about necessary living conditions for animals and birds living in the city and how light pollution affects their lives. We will also undoubtedly play with light.
The morning science experiment will be led by lighting designer Chiara Carucci in English and translated into Estonian with the help of our Crazy Scientist. Tickets (5 €) can be purchased from Fienta or the University of Tartu museum shop before the beginning of the experiment.
- November 9th, 6 pm
Discussion 'Starlight vs. City Lights: The Impact of Light Pollution' at the Tartu Old Observatory (Uppsala 8).
Discover the relationship between light pollution and stargazing during this special event at Tartu Observatory. Weather permitting, we will observe the night sky and discuss how light pollution affects astronomy. In case of poor conditions, the evening will feature an engaging talk and public discussion led by the Tartu Old Observatory team and lighting designer Chiara Carucci.
The event is in English. Tickets (5 €) can be purchased from Fienta or the Tartu Old Observatory before the beginning of the event.
The events are organised in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Tallinn.
During the Tartu Architectural Lighting and Light Art Festival TAVA24 we invite everyone to take an evening stroll on Toomemägi Hill and enjoy the Tatu Cathedral lighting artwork ’Koit ja Hämarik’ (Dawn and Dusk).
The artwork combining Nordic folklore, 19th century mythology and modern lighting design illuminates the walls of Tartu Cathedral every night. The light is switched on at sunset and changes several times as darkness falls in the evening. At night, the light intensity is reduced so as not to disturb the animals, birds and other inhabitants of Toomemägi while they sleep. In the morning, the light artwork welcomes early arrivals to Toomemägi and then switches off for the day at sunrise. For lighting design enthusiasts, we have created the possibility to observe an accelerated runthrough of each lighting scene. The accelerated runthrough is activated on every full hour after darkness falls and can be enjoyed until midnight.
The lighting design was created by Light To Light, a Belgian lighting design agency with strong pan-European experience, represented by Fiorenzo Namèche, in collaboration with lighting designers Chiara Carucci (Italy) and Alfred Sà (Spain).
The lighting artwork of the Tartu Cathedral is part of the project 'Toomemägi Revisited' within the main programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, bringing the historical heart of Tartu to life with the help of light, culture and science. The completion of the lighting artwork is supported by the city of Tartu, the University of Tartu, SA Tartu 2024 and the National Heritage Board. More information on the lighting artwork can be found here.
The activities on Toomemägi Hill will be led by lighting designer Chiara Carucci, who is one of the authors of the Tartu Cathedral lighting artwork.
Chiara has over two decades of experience in the industry, having led a wide range of award-winning projects that blend innovative lighting design with architectural and ecological preservations. Since 2018, Chiara has collaborated with fellow professionals and researchers, pushing the boundaries of traditional lighting design to incorporate innovative solutions for architectural and ecological conservation. From pilot interventions to safeguard sea turtles to illuminating tourist caves while protecting bats and formations, Chiara's projects exemplify her dedication to harmonizing human progress with environmental preservation.
She actively promotes the professioon through her roles on the LIRC Steering Committee, as chair of the IALD Education Trust Stipend Committee, and as coordinator of the Southern European Chapter of the IALD. She is the founder and principal of Cultural & Natural Heritage Lighting Design agency Noctua.
Light art festival TAVA2024 takes place from the 7th to the 9th of November. In addition to leading the activities on Toomemägi Hill, Chiara Carucci will also lead an architectural lighting workshop at the Botanical Garden of the University of Tartu. Learn more about the workshop as well as other events in the festival programme on the festival webpage.
