The Blue Line, 2024

Site-Specific Light Installation

A line of blue light vertically runs through the tower of the Topolcany Castle. As the sun goes down behind the hill where the castle stands, the light appears, first as a thin trace, then as a light blue line, finally as a bright blue halo that washes the whole castle. Dating back to the 13th century, the castle has been an integral part of the landscape ever since. As our past, it is sometimes remembered and sometimes forgotten; sometimes inspiring and sometimes a burden. Until "The Blue Line", it had not been lit, becoming fully invisible at nights. Now, it is seen even from the town of Topolcany, 18 kilometres away. "The Blue Line" is there, a contemporary artistic intervention, not only to remind us of the existence of the past, but also to create new social bonds with it.

"The Blue Line" is part of Bilal Yilmaz's series of site-specific light installations at archaeological monuments, aiming to create a connection between past and present while highlighting the fact that the most emblematic traces of past civilisations are their artistic, architectural and cultural productions. Looking at the remnants of the past, a history of the future asks: what do we leave behind?

Commissioned by Nástupište 1-12 with support of Zuzana Novotová Godálová.

Photo: Samuel Sokol  & Lydia Chatziiakovou