Illuminos

Rapunzel – the light of a teardrop

The timeless tale of Rapunzel, trapped forever in her soaring tower, is reimagined for Festival of Light. An ancient stone tower of fairytale builds upwards far into the sky. Gleaming stained glass windows shine in its surface, arches of light through which the silhouettes of Rapunzel are glimpsed. Under a glowing moon, the shimmering river of hair flows downward, spiralling around and around, as squirrels play and flowers bloom in its protection. But the dark sorceress is never far away, shaking them from the plaits and sending them falling. Dark brambles and roses are set in motion, climbing upwards to snare Rapunzel in her tower. As the hair falls once more, through the thorns and up the hair the prince climbs, to the very top, silhouetted in the light, only to be cast down in a flash of sorceress lightning. Falling ever-downwards, he is struck blind by the thorns. But the light of a teardrop when shared is a powerful thing, and as Rapunzel’s tear’s fall like shooting stars, thorns become blossom, rose becomes firefly, the Prince’s sight is returned, and the tower melts away as love wins out.

Illuminos often play with folklore, fairytale, magic and wonder in their work. This piece brings the original Grimm Tale and its Germanic roots to the largest canvas, transforming the dizzyingly high TV Tower into the towering fortress of old mythology. The light of the tears and light from the window in the story are shared, chiming with this year’s theme and our wider arts practice.