Video: Keyframe light sculptures brighten up Edinburgh

IT'S the spectacular light show that sees an army of stick figures invade St Andrew Square to the sound of chanting crowds and otherwordly music.

The latest major new art installation to hit Edinburgh is a stop-motion extravaganza composed of dozens of light sculptures running, leaping, rolling, and even playing football.

Dubbed ‘Keyframes’, the weird and wonderful sculptures are the brainchild of French art collective Groupe LAPS, who have given their show-stopping display a Scottish twist as it makes its first appearance north of the border.

Flashing in time to music – giving the stick figures the illusion of movement – the works invite locals and tourists alike to walk among them and transport themselves into a surreal world seemingly miles away from the bustling city surrounding it.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s events champion, said the installation would bring the Capital to life as the dark months of winter slowly morph into spring.

He said: “Public art by day, lightshow by night, Keyframes is something completely different for Edinburgh.

READ MORE: http://www.scotsman.com/news/what-to-expect-from-scotland-s-year-of-innovation-architecture-and-design-1-4006776| What to expect from the Scotland’s Year of Innovation,

“It’s fantastic to bring international events to the city. This project has been tailored by the French artists to suit the square and celebrate elements of Scottish culture, from the sound of the bagpipes to our national love of football. I’m sure it will drive footfall as it brightens up the city centre with its playful stick figure sculptures. You can’t miss it.”

The Keyframes exhibit opened on Thursdaqy. Picture: Neil Hanna

The light show will be switched on every evening as it gets dark – pushing the start time later into the night as spring approaches – before finishing up at midnight.

Funded by the council, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and Marketing Edinburgh, it will run until March 28.

The work’s arrival in the Capital comes after a UK debut in Durham at the 2013 Lumiere Festival. It has also entertained thousands of people across the world from Singapore to Jerusalem, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

The installation marks the third year St Andrew Square has hosted a major light-based art event. In 2014, Bruce Munro’s Field of Light saw the gardens transformed into a field of swaying, colourful spheres, while last year Light Fantastic allowed Twitter users to alter the colour of the Melville Monument.