Swiss artist lights up Kyiv over Christmas

Gerry Hofstetter has transformed both built and natural objects into works of art including the Matterhorn and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Keystone / Oleg Petrasyuk

Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter has brought his light projection art to Ukraine, transforming buildings in its capital into works of art for three days over Christmas.

Russian attacks on power stations have caused severe power outages and left the Ukrainian capital largely dark at night. From December 23-25, Hofstetter is bringing some light to the city for fifteen minutes each night with the help of diesel generators.

Hofstetter, who has made a name for himself with light projections on the Matterhorn, an Arctic iceberg and the Brandenburg Gate, is beaming the Ukrainian flag, doves of peace, Christmas motifs and other images onto the facades of museums, universities, residential buildings and churches throughout Kyiv.

The lightshow also remembers victims of the war, projecting photo portraits of victims with their names and age at death on buildings and monuments such as St. Andrew’s Church. The images are also being streamed live.

“With these illuminations, I want to bring hope and some Christmas to Ukrainians,” Hofstetter was quoted as saying in a statement ahead of the lightshow according to news agency Keystone-SDA. The project was not announced ahead of time for security reasons but the Swiss Embassy in Kyiv provided logistics support.