Have you ever seen a "Crouching Tiger of Light and Shadow" that is 5.3 kilometers long and about 2 kilometers high, equivalent to the size of more than a thousand football fields combined?
This mighty "tiger" hovers over the north wall of the Swiss Eiger, and its yellow-black stripes stand out against the clear night sky and the brilliant Milky Way – the largest light projection artwork ever on the planet, by the famous Swiss lighting artist Gerry Hofstetter. The opportunity for him to create this work is to celebrate the newly arrived Chinese Lunar Year of the Tiger.
A giant light tiger appearing on the north wall of the Eiger
Born in 1962, Gerry Hofstedt is one of the most famous light artists in Switzerland and the world. Since 1999, he has created a series of light projection artworks on large building surfaces and in nature, aiming to arouse public attention to public issues such as ecological protection and climate change, and his light and shadow works have been left on famous landmarks such as egyptian pyramids (see photo below) and sphinxes.
In 2003, Hofstedt projected a series of light artworks on an iceberg in Antarctica on an icebreaker, and vivid images of polar bears and marine fish flashed on the ice wall one by one (see image below).
In March 2020, Hofstedt also projected a series of light artworks on the Most famous Matterhorn in the Alps, aiming to inspire everyone affected by the epidemic.
In March 2020, Hofstedt projected the word "Hope" on the Matterhorn
The giant tiger he projected on the north wall of the Eiger in Switzerland is one of the largest ever illuminated works of art. Although the work lasted less than 15 minutes, Hofstedt and his team prepared for it for a year – in order to ensure a perfect presentation, the weather, temperature, wind at the top of the mountain, the size and position of the moon, and even the position of the constellations needed to be considered. Through this work, the artist hopes to express good wishes for the Chinese New Year and also hope to raise public awareness of the protection of endangered animals.
The Eiger, along with the adjacent M nch and Jungfrau, is one of the most iconic peaks in the Swiss Alps. Its north wall, above the projected tiger (5.3 km wide and 2 km high), is the most technically challenging and dangerous climbing peak in the Alps. 65 climbers lost their lives while trying to climb, and were first conquered by humans in 1938. To this day, professional climbers continue to challenge this famous mountain.
Red Star News reporter | Qiao Xueyang according to the artist's personal official website
Edited | Duan Xueying
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