When the Cathedral Is Ablaze with Light

Archifon III illuminates the cathedral

At this point, it’s only a matter of hours until the opening of the 2014 Ars Electronica Festival. The artists are busily installing their works at this year’s numerous downtown venues. The activity of festival staffers is particularly intense at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Its gigantic premises—thanks to the gracious consent and cooperation of the Diocese of Linz—will soon be making an unforgettable impression on opening night festivalgoers. And throughout the festival, September 4-8, 2014, this ecclesiastical architecture will host an array of artistic installations entitled “Dom Exhibit.” In addition to serving as a one-of-a-kind exhibition space, the façade of Austria’s largest church will provide a neo-Gothic backdrop for an extraordinary alfresco opening spectacle beginning at 8:30 PM on September 4, 2014. Here are a few initial impressions captured during an evening stroll shortly before the festival gets underway.