Colorful and spectacular light installations have a long tradition in Southern Italy, dating back to the XVI Century. Every city dresses up its streets with unique light structures for holidays, festivals, and celebrations of its patron saint. 

"Luminarie" were originally ephemeral structures featuring oil lamps and colored paper lampshades. The invention of the electric light bulb took the art of the “luminarie” to a new level. Artisans created ever more elaborate structures, inspired by the Baroque aesthetic typical of southern italy, as well as the meticulous embroidery of grandmothers. 

In Italian, the word “festa” is used to refer to both “festival” and “party”. It generally evokes a sense of joy, fun and sharing with others. By combining the traditional essence of the "luminarie" with new technology, we let everybody partake in "La Festa” and share our joyful heritage.

The soundscape and lights of "La Festa", are controlled by interaction with an intuitive device, designed to let anybody feel like a performer. The audio library mixes digital beats with samples of typical local sounds and ancient voices. Both sound and lights are reprogrammable for special collaborations (with museums, sound archives, artists/musicians) and participatory projects (open calls, special events). We want to celebrate the joy of “La Festa” and do it together.