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Lumenaura, a light-driven public art festival, coming to Aurora, Illinois in the fall

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AURORA, Ill. (CBS) -- Light-driven art installations will brighten up fall evenings in Aurora starting next month.

"Lumenaura" will be held in downtown Aurora from Oct. 4 until Nov. 1. The City of Aurora bills the festival as an opportunity to "explore portals to the past, future, across space, or to a parallel universe."

The art installations include:

  • The Sonic Railway, a light-art installation that turns audio signals into light patterns. The light shoots down a 400-foot corridor of 23 LED-lined arches at the speed of sound, according to the city of Aurora. Different free family activities will be held near the Sonic Railway—among them "Star Wars" Character photo ops and DJs for hip hop and Taylor Swift dance party nights. Sonic Railway was reacted by Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant and is powered by Creos.
    credit-sonic-runway-a-creation-by-rob-jensen-warren-trezevanto-c-creos-photo-by-jordan-laboucane.jpg
    Sonic Runway Sonic Runway, a creation by Rob Jensen & Warren Trezevant, powered by Creos, photo by Jordan Laboucane.
  • The Pool, an interactive field of concentric circles that everyone can run, walk, dance, and jump on. Artist Jen Lewin created the installation with inspiration from Australian tidal pools.
  • credit-the-pool-by-artist-jen-lewin-photo-by-jr-east.jpg
  • EXPosure, which allows visitors to create light-art selfies on an enormous sphere just by illuminating themselves with their own smartphones or flashlights.
  • credit-exposure-created-by-lucion-media-distributed-by-wireframe-public-art-agency.jpg
    EXPosure Created by LUCION Media | Distributed by Wireframe | Public Art Agency.
  • Shadowing, a public artwork that traces peoples' paths as they walk under a city lamppost—as the same lamppost projects the shadow path of someone else who just walked by. The artwork plays on the sensation of being among others in a city—even if those other people are only seen in the form of ghostly shadows, the City of Aurora said.
  • credit-shadowing-created-by-chomko-rosier-distributed-by-wireframe-public-art-agency.jpg
    Shadowing Created by Chomko & Rosier | Distributed by Wireframe | Public Art Agency
  • Barrel Boy and Family, a collection of sculptures made from opaque plastic drums that in some instances stand as tall as 17 feet.
  • credit-barrel-boy-and-family-joel-edward-sisson.jpg
    Barrel boy and family Joel Edward Sisson

Also planned as part of the event is a three-day celebration from Oct. 11 through Oct. 13. This event will feature lights and multisensory entertainment further throughout downtown Aurora—including large-scale projection art on downtown buildings by George Berlin and XO Immersive.

The festival weekend will also feature a drone show, roving performers, food trucks, a beer garden, and a variety of live entertainment—from DJ crews to cumbia to the Grateful Dead tribute bands Terrapin Flyer—as well as aerialists, acrobats, fire dancers, and jugglers.

More information is available on the website for the event.

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