e-Luminate Cambridge 2018 names popular art expert and BBC TV presenter as Guest Curator

Monday 4 September 2017

In a major announcement, Cambridge Live has named British art historian and BAFTA-nominated broadcaster Dr James Fox as Guest Curator for e-Luminate Cambridge 2018.

Now regarded as one of the city’s most popular events, the festival of light attracts thousands to Cambridge each February to see the dazzling light installations over the course of six exceptional evenings. The festival offers the public a truly unique winter spectacle as ephemeral light art designs play with the richness and diversity of the urban landscape, transforming everyday buildings and spaces into something extraordinary and magical for a few short hours.

A familiar and popular figure presenting arts programmes on BBC, CNN and Sky Arts, Dr James Fox is a Fellow of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge and has published widely on many aspects of modern art. In addition to his academic work, James is best known for his BBC2 and BBC4 programmes, including A History of Art in Three Colours; Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds; and Forest, Field and Sky. His most recent series, The Art of Japanese Life, was broadcasted on BBC4 in June 2017. He is currently completing a major book entitled The Meaning of Colour, to be published by Penguin (Allen Lane) in 2018.

Announcing the theme of 2018’s Festival as ‘Colour’, Founder and Artistic Director of e-Luminate Cambridge, Alessandra Caggiano welcomed Dr James Fox as co-curator: ‘Working with James for the next edition of e-Luminate Cambridge is an immense pleasure and privilege. His knowledge and genuine interest in the theme of colour are a great inspiration and I am truly excited by what the artistic programme is shaping up to be already.

‘He is also a much-loved public figure thanks to his work as a TV presenter; I believe this will help our mission to get more people involved in the festival to discover the best of Cambridge’s artistic talents, technological innovations, and heritage in a new light.’

Colour illuminates our world. Humans can see millions of different hues, and our lives would not be the same without them. Colour helps us understand our environment, communicate our emotions, and create meaning. It’s a powerful tool for artists and designers. But to see colour, there needs to be light.

Dr James Fox said: ‘I’ve been dazzled and delighted by e-Luminate Cambridge since it started in 2013. It floods Cambridge with light at a dark time of the year, and makes us see this beautiful city with fresh eyes. I am therefore delighted to be working with Alessandra in curating the 2018 Festival. Together we will explore a subject very close to my heart: colour. We’ll explore the complex relationship between light and colour from various perspectives, combining art, science, and technology.  We will also pay tribute to Cambridge’s contributions to colour theory by bringing Isaac Newton’s and James Clerk Maxwell’s momentous discoveries to life.’

 

‘Colour is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment.’ Monet