INLIGHT 2009

InLight Richmond 2009, the second annual exhibition of contemporary public art inspired by light, took place on September 25, 2009 from dusk until midnight. Downtown Richmond was once again transformed by visual and performance art presented in various public spaces—including sidewalks and walls, storefronts and buildings—along East Broad and East Grace Street and 5th and 8th Street.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Guest juror Adelina Vlas, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, selected works by the following artists Alex Potts, Amanda Long, Amy Ho, Andy Holtin, Annette Isham, Ashley Hope Carlisle, Constance Thalken, David Forbes, David Sanchez-Burr, Ed Purver, Enrique Maitland, Ernest Jolly, James Long, Jennifer Barnett-Hensel, Joy Taylor, Karl Mendonca, Katrin Jaquet, Matthew McCormack, Michael Dulin, Naho Taruishi, Renata Sheppard, Roberto Ventura, Joshua Poteat, Symmes Gardner, Tiffany Carbonneau, Valentino Giovanni Mancini, and Jay Thomas McGuire.

JUROR’S STATEMENT

Taking as its departure point light, both as a medium and as a concept, InLight Richmond offers artists annually the opportunity to create projects that address a specific urban environment in a creative and engaging manner. Inserted in spaces that are otherwise vacant or have a limited usage, the selected works aim to activate the facades, walls, storefronts, doorways, and parking lots located between East Grace and East Broad Streets and 5th to 8th Streets of downtown Richmond.

The 26 international artists selected for the 2009 edition of InLight submitted projects that respond to the landscape of Richmond's city center while also attempting to address more universal issues associated with the contemporary urban context. Diverse artistic practices are represented in this year's selection, and they include video and sound projections, kinetic sculptures, interactive installations, architectural environments, dance and performance art. Intended to stimulate our senses, these works also act as new points of reference on the map of the city. Their ephemeral presence urges us not only to join in the celebration of light but also to claim back and animate, in a creative and memorable way, a part of the city otherwise inactive at night.

- Adelina Vlas

2009 AWARD WINNERS

The Best in Show award, selected by Juror Adelina Vlas, was given to Joshua Poteat and Roberto Ventura for their installation, For Grabriel.

The Best in Green award, selected by Michael Pellis, AIA, LEED, was given to Amanda Long for her kinetic video installation, White Light (Phase 2).

The People's Choice Award, selected by the audience was given to Renata Sheppard for her live performance, Prism Sentence.