Italian
Olga Kryzhanovska is a Ukrainian artist of sand animation, psychologist, and art therapist, who lives and works in Norway. She has developed the VSR method (Visual Stress Reduction) and explores emotions and universal values in her work through literature, poetry, music, and history. Her performances blend animation, shadow theater, and narrative elements.
Svitlana Danylchenko, also an artist and Ukrainian designer residing in Norway, uses visual effects, illusions, and shadow theater to bring to life poetic and expressive performances inspired by folklore, literature, and personal experiences. Both are co-founders of the sand animation group Lysteater.
In Piazza Maria Hauber, there is an installation by Julia Shamsheieva, titled Voice of ukraine. from shadows to radiance, spirits awakened.This work reveals the inner strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Rooted in a centuries-old culture, but interpreted with a contemporary gaze, the work places the female figure at the center as a symbol of Ukraine.
Dolya, Nedolya, Bereginya and Morena represent fate, trial, protection, and rebirth: artistic interpretations of Ukrainian myths set within a broader European cultural context. The animation features a partially veiled singing face, inspired by the Motanka doll, the traditional faceless doll, a symbol of protection and harmony. In a play of light and shadow, the projection tells a story of memory, loss, and hope, accompanied by a sound composition that blends motifs from traditional Ukrainian songs with contemporary arrangements.
Finally, in Piazza Duomo we can find On Blank Pages , a poetic light installation that transforms public space into a place of free expression, offering space for anonymous and uncensored contributions. Thousands of blank pages form a constantly growing archive-collage, made up of words, drawings, and thoughts, which is constantly reshaped by the movement of the wind, revealing itself in ever-new compositions.
Thus, a living archive of collective emotions is born: intimate and political, fragile yet powerful. The work invites you to pause, reflect, and insert your own voice into a common dialogue. The encounter, the paternity of the work, and collective creativity become tangible, while the space itself becomes a guardian of these stories, and the spectators become part of this dynamic and poetic whole.
Here are just some of the emotions you can experience while walking through the streets of Bressanone until May 16th from 9 PM onwards. However, remember that some installations have fixed hours because they are special projects. Don’t miss this opportunity, as this is a biennial event that will only return in 2028.
But now let’s describe the various projects. For example, in the Portici Maggiori there is an installation by Claudia Reh, Fractions . It is a luminous project in constant evolution; an open work born within the framework of Imagine Peace. Every war leaves behind rubble: not only destroyed cities, but also values, hopes, and broken human relationships. Fractions addresses these fragments.
Inspired by the Japanese art form Kintsugi, where fractures are made visible with gold, the project addresses the theme of the traces of wounds and the possibility of a new connection. Scars, imperfections, and fractures remain deliberately visible. The installation extends across various buildings in the participating cities and integrates elements from previous festivals and workshops. Fractions is considered a process, just as peace is a continuous and shared act. Along the Portici Maggiori, a fluid projection is created that resembles a river. Floating within it are fragments and cutouts of images, created by visitors from previous festivals in Essen and Copenhagen, which gradually come together to form a common image.
In the Collegiate Church of the Madonna, you can witness live how a work of art is created with sand, thanks to Olga Kryzhanovska & Svitlana Danylchenko. Also within the framework of the Imagine Peace project, we can see a female perspective on war and peace, marked by both the physical experience of motherhood and that of fleeing and exile. While it is men who start wars, they remain at the same time sons, once born of women.
From a mother’s perspective, every child possesses a unique and unconditional value, whereas war erases individuality and subordinates human life to abstract ideas. At the heart of the performance is a sand animation created through light and projection. Fleeting images take shape before the audience, creating a visual dialogue that highlights the fragility and intrinsic value of human life, awakening empathy and inviting reflection on peace, responsibility, and compassion.
Olga Kryzhanovska is a Ukrainian artist of sand animation, psychologist, and art therapist, who lives and works in Norway. She has developed the VSR method (Visual Stress Reduction) and explores emotions and universal values in her work through literature, poetry, music, and history. Her performances blend animation, shadow theater, and narrative elements.
Svitlana Danylchenko, also an artist and Ukrainian designer residing in Norway, uses visual effects, illusions, and shadow theater to bring to life poetic and expressive performances inspired by folklore, literature, and personal experiences. Both are co-founders of the sand animation group Lysteater.
In Piazza Maria Hauber, there is an installation by Julia Shamsheieva, titled Voice of ukraine. from shadows to radiance, spirits awakened.This work reveals the inner strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Rooted in a centuries-old culture, but interpreted with a contemporary gaze, the work places the female figure at the center as a symbol of Ukraine.
Dolya, Nedolya, Bereginya and Morena represent fate, trial, protection, and rebirth: artistic interpretations of Ukrainian myths set within a broader European cultural context. The animation features a partially veiled singing face, inspired by the Motanka doll, the traditional faceless doll, a symbol of protection and harmony. In a play of light and shadow, the projection tells a story of memory, loss, and hope, accompanied by a sound composition that blends motifs from traditional Ukrainian songs with contemporary arrangements.
Finally, in Piazza Duomo we can find On Blank Pages , a poetic light installation that transforms public space into a place of free expression, offering space for anonymous and uncensored contributions. Thousands of blank pages form a constantly growing archive-collage, made up of words, drawings, and thoughts, which is constantly reshaped by the movement of the wind, revealing itself in ever-new compositions.
Thus, a living archive of collective emotions is born: intimate and political, fragile yet powerful. The work invites you to pause, reflect, and insert your own voice into a common dialogue. The encounter, the paternity of the work, and collective creativity become tangible, while the space itself becomes a guardian of these stories, and the spectators become part of this dynamic and poetic whole.
Here are just some of the emotions you can experience while walking through the streets of Bressanone until May 16th from 9 PM onwards. However, remember that some installations have fixed hours because they are special projects. Don’t miss this opportunity, as this is a biennial event that will only return in 2028.
An event that beautifies with light projections
The Bressanone Water Light Festival takes place every two years in May. The idea for the festival was born in 2015 after the premiere of the light and music show at the Hofburg in Bressanone. The first edition of the Festival was then held in May 2017.
The 2026 edition, from April 29 to May 16, will take place as part of Imagine Peace, a project co-funded by the European Union that promotes collaboration and a sense of unity and connection among five different European light festivals.
In addition to the Brixen Water Light Festival, the participating festivals are Copenhagen (Denmark), Essen (Germany), Oslo (Norway), and Pula (Croatia). Through cross-border artistic collaboration, it promotes a shared vision of peace and sustainability, engaging people of different ages and cultures. With the support of the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Eurac Research (Italy), the project aims to empirically measure its sustainable impact. By valuing cultural diversity, it highlights common values and a collective aspiration for a peaceful future.
Local and international artists transform fountains and cultural treasures into an open-air gallery with their creative ideas on this occasion. Reflections on the ecological, economic, and social aspects surrounding water and light form the basis of the artistic works. Under the motto “Water is life – light is art”, an artistic path has been created in the historic center of Bressanone.
Every evening at 9:15 PM, there is the opportunity to participate in a guided tour, together with an expert to take a look behind the scenes of the Water Light Festival in Bressanone and explore the world of light art. It will therefore be possible to visit the water points and the cultural and historical treasures that local and international artists have transformed into an open-air gallery with their creative ideas.
But now let’s describe the various projects. For example, in the Portici Maggiori there is an installation by Claudia Reh, Fractions . It is a luminous project in constant evolution; an open work born within the framework of Imagine Peace. Every war leaves behind rubble: not only destroyed cities, but also values, hopes, and broken human relationships. Fractions addresses these fragments.
Inspired by the Japanese art form Kintsugi, where fractures are made visible with gold, the project addresses the theme of the traces of wounds and the possibility of a new connection. Scars, imperfections, and fractures remain deliberately visible. The installation extends across various buildings in the participating cities and integrates elements from previous festivals and workshops. Fractions is considered a process, just as peace is a continuous and shared act. Along the Portici Maggiori, a fluid projection is created that resembles a river. Floating within it are fragments and cutouts of images, created by visitors from previous festivals in Essen and Copenhagen, which gradually come together to form a common image.
In the Collegiate Church of the Madonna, you can witness live how a work of art is created with sand, thanks to Olga Kryzhanovska & Svitlana Danylchenko. Also within the framework of the Imagine Peace project, we can see a female perspective on war and peace, marked by both the physical experience of motherhood and that of fleeing and exile. While it is men who start wars, they remain at the same time sons, once born of women.
From a mother’s perspective, every child possesses a unique and unconditional value, whereas war erases individuality and subordinates human life to abstract ideas. At the heart of the performance is a sand animation created through light and projection. Fleeting images take shape before the audience, creating a visual dialogue that highlights the fragility and intrinsic value of human life, awakening empathy and inviting reflection on peace, responsibility, and compassion.
Olga Kryzhanovska is a Ukrainian artist of sand animation, psychologist, and art therapist, who lives and works in Norway. She has developed the VSR method (Visual Stress Reduction) and explores emotions and universal values in her work through literature, poetry, music, and history. Her performances blend animation, shadow theater, and narrative elements.
Svitlana Danylchenko, also an artist and Ukrainian designer residing in Norway, uses visual effects, illusions, and shadow theater to bring to life poetic and expressive performances inspired by folklore, literature, and personal experiences. Both are co-founders of the sand animation group Lysteater.
In Piazza Maria Hauber, there is an installation by Julia Shamsheieva, titled Voice of ukraine. from shadows to radiance, spirits awakened.This work reveals the inner strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Rooted in a centuries-old culture, but interpreted with a contemporary gaze, the work places the female figure at the center as a symbol of Ukraine.
Dolya, Nedolya, Bereginya and Morena represent fate, trial, protection, and rebirth: artistic interpretations of Ukrainian myths set within a broader European cultural context. The animation features a partially veiled singing face, inspired by the Motanka doll, the traditional faceless doll, a symbol of protection and harmony. In a play of light and shadow, the projection tells a story of memory, loss, and hope, accompanied by a sound composition that blends motifs from traditional Ukrainian songs with contemporary arrangements.
Finally, in Piazza Duomo we can find On Blank Pages , a poetic light installation that transforms public space into a place of free expression, offering space for anonymous and uncensored contributions. Thousands of blank pages form a constantly growing archive-collage, made up of words, drawings, and thoughts, which is constantly reshaped by the movement of the wind, revealing itself in ever-new compositions.
Thus, a living archive of collective emotions is born: intimate and political, fragile yet powerful. The work invites you to pause, reflect, and insert your own voice into a common dialogue. The encounter, the paternity of the work, and collective creativity become tangible, while the space itself becomes a guardian of these stories, and the spectators become part of this dynamic and poetic whole.
Here are just some of the emotions you can experience while walking through the streets of Bressanone until May 16th from 9 PM onwards. However, remember that some installations have fixed hours because they are special projects. Don’t miss this opportunity, as this is a biennial event that will only return in 2028.
