River of Light: Liverpool art trail's nod to Eurovision

Julio Himede, who designed the Eurovision 2023 stage, has created a piece for the event

Liverpool's "unforgettable" Eurovision Song Contest will be remembered in the city's waterfront illuminated art trail.

Three out of the 12 River of Light installations will give a nod to the contest hosted by the city in May.

Julio Himede, who designed the stage, has created one along with Ukrainian creatives Tais Poda and RocknLight.

The theme United by Light also pays homage to Eurovision. The lights will shine from 27 October until 5 November.

The slogan for Eurovision 2023, which was held in Liverpool on behalf of war-torn Ukraine, was United By Music.

'Huge coup'

The city council said the contest was an "unforgettable" two weeks.

Councillor Harry Doyle said: "Five months on, and the success of Eurovision is still a huge talking point so I'm delighted we have commissioned some incredible artworks which pay tribute to those fantastic, surreal two weeks in May."

The city council's cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture added it was a "huge coup" to be able to showcase a unique piece from the Eurovision stage designer.

"It's also great to see a tangible legacy of staging that global event as we continue to proudly work with Ukrainian artists to share and appreciate their culture," the Labour councillor added.

The event will see Night Whisper, a work inspired by moths which was previously shown in Sydney, on display in Liverpool

Mr Himede, founder of Yellow Studio, has created the United By Music installation for the River of Light festival.

He said it was an "honour to be back in Liverpool".

"Our monument is a tribute to the cultural phenomenon of Eurovision and an homage to the warm community of Liverpool," he said.

He added: "The show's global message of unity, expression, and diversity is celebrated through bold monochromatic tones and the playful animation of light."

Ukrainian Dreams artist Tais Poda said his artwork had been inspired by artist Maria Prymachenko.

"She transformed her experiences of rural life into a fantastic fairy tale, filled with mythology and symbols which resonate strongly for contemporary Ukrainians and speak of what is happening in Ukraine today.

"I'm honoured Culture Liverpool has commissioned me to create this new digital work, taking inspiration from Maria's stunning paintings to reflect on current realities in Ukraine and share with UK audiences our country's rich cultural heritage."

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