Binghamton's LUMA Festival returns for ninth year: Here's the artist, performance lineup

Emily Barnes, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin
·3 min read

Six colorful projection mapping displays will once again light up Binghamton's night skies through the return of LUMA, with one taking a whole new meaning as it's dedicated to a local activist and arts organizer who died earlier this year.

A mural mapping display, which takes drawings from local artists and projects them onto a downtown building during the festival, has been renamed the Peg Johnston Living Lights Project after the Southern Tier Women's Services executive director and Cooperative Gallery 213 artist, who died in May.

"Peg Johnston was an amazing activist, artist, community organizer, just a warm, loving soul," LUMA co-founder Joshua Bernard said Thursday. "We're incredibly proud to rename the mural mapping project in honor of Peg Johnston."

The LUMA festival once again lit up downtown Binghamton. The two-day event was held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, 2022.
The LUMA festival once again lit up downtown Binghamton. The two-day event was held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, 2022.

When is LUMA

The Peg Johnston Living Lights Project will be projected onto 196 State St. along with five other displays scattered throughout downtown Binghamton Sept. 8-9.

Here are the five other visual storytelling performances and artists who will be featured at this year's LUMA festival, where you'll find them and why organizers say you won't want to miss them.

Second Nature, a projection mapping presentation created by French artist Yann Nguema, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.
Second Nature, a projection mapping presentation created by French artist Yann Nguema, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.

Second Nature

  • Artist: Yann Nguema

  • Where: 49 Court St.

  • What you will see: “Second Nature” is a visionary blend of architecture and algorithm, masterfully crafted by French artist Yann Nguema. This visual poem transforms the traditional facade of 49 Court St. into an entrancing ballet of light, where historical grandeur and modern innovation exist in striking harmony. Using precision light and laser work, Nguema marries the past and the future, crafting a new perspective on the art of mapping that delivers a compelling narrative.

Light Session, a projection mapping presentation created by Spanish artist Los Romeras, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.
Light Session, a projection mapping presentation created by Spanish artist Los Romeras, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.

Light Session

  • Artist: Los Romeras

  • Where: 65 Hawley St.

  • What you will see: Imagine the soulful beats of jazz represented visually in a dazzling array of colors and shapes. “Light Session” by Romera from Madrid, Spain seamlessly integrates music and architecture, the play of light painting a narrative of jazz on the building. An intricate performance of instrumental soundscape and visuals crescendoing to a big band finale, this is a progressive show unlike any other.

Re-Naissance, a projection mapping presentation created by Belgian artist Glitch, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.
Re-Naissance, a projection mapping presentation created by Belgian artist Glitch, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.

Re-Naissance

  • Artist: Glitch

  • Where: 95 Court St.

  • What you will see: In Binghamton’s bustling center, a testament to enduring life and humanity stands tall: Glitch’s “Awakening." The solid stone monument it portrays is more than a fixed edifice, it symbolizes the pulse of life and evolution across time. From first steps of civilization to towering skyscrapers, this stone has witnessed it all, and more. This narrative created by Belgium's Glitch invites us on a journey, one where we consider the stone not just as a marker of time but a living entity.

Infinite Horizons, a projection mapping presentation created by Hungarian artist Maxin10sity, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.
Infinite Horizons, a projection mapping presentation created by Hungarian artist Maxin10sity, is one of six displays during the 2023 LUMA Festival in downtown Binghamton.

Infinite Horizons

  • Artist: Maxin10sity

  • Where: 78 Exchange St.

  • What you will see: Maxin10sity, from Budapest, Hungary, takes us on an interstellar journey with “Infinite Horizons," a playful exploration of humanity’s dreams of cosmic conquest. Follow the constant stride of an astronaut as he moves through ever-changing worlds, all dynamically synched to music. Where does his journey lead? That’s a secret to be unveiled at the LUMA light festival in Binghamton.

Web of Life

  • Artist: Mindscape Studio featuring Snow Raven

  • Where: 65 Hawley St.

  • What you will see: Romanian-based Mindscape, in collaboration with Snow Raven, presents “Web Of Life," a captivating audio-visual representation of the interconnectedness of all life forms. Drawing from Snow Raven’s indigenous ancestral wisdom, the narrative interweaves symbols and stories of individuals, communities, and animals to form a rich tapestry of life. Accompanied by the haunting vocals of Snow Raven, this piece invites us on a journey through natural wonders and the vibrant tapestry of Arctic Siberian Sakha culture.

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team Consumer Advocate Reporter for the USA Today Network. Contact Emily at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: These are the artists being featured at the 2023 LUMA Festival