Competence Centre
The Centre for International Light Art considers itself as the institution and competence centre that focuses on light art in its broadest sense. It organizes workshops and symposiums, programmes accompanying the exhibitions, as well as maintains a broad network with diverse cultural institutions, among which technical colleges and art schools.
„Developing Light Art in an
innovative and creative way”"
The centre wants to show works by both emerging and established artists who are developing light art in an innovative and creative way. New technologies, energy utilization and sustainability also play an important role.
As a competence centre for light art, the museum aims to inspire and promote, and to provide a platform for a future generation of light artists. Examples are the International Light Art Award (ILAA), which has been awarded three times, and the cooperation with the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar with the "SWITCH" exhibition project.
Networking Cooperations
Networking cooperations exist with, among others, the following projects:
RuhrKunstMuseen
The 21 art museums of the Ruhr area have joined their forces to form the network RuhrKunstMuseen. The majority of the museums focus on 20th century art as well as on the present. 19th Century art as well as old masters and non-European art are also represented in impressive collections in individual museums. The cooperation of the RuhrKunstMuseen illustrates the diversity of modern and contemporary art of the museum landscape Ruhr. By means of joint communications, exhibition activities and mediation, visitors and locals have been able to experience the variety of museums in the Culture Metropolis Ruhr since 2010:
www.ruhrkunstmuseen.de
RuhrKunstbewegt
With RuhrKunstbewegt, the 21 RuhrKunstMuseen are developing an educational programme for children and young people. Participants get to know the museum as a new place of experience and expand their skills through creative forms of expression. Formats of museum education and mediation are expanded in an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary way: ideas from theatre, dance and music complement museum offers to provide children and young people with a variety of approaches to art and culture. Until August 2026, children and young people of different age groups and school types can take part in several consecutive workshops. RuhrKunstbewegt is an educational project of the 21 RuhrKunstMuseen funded by the RWE Foundation.
Route of Industrial Heritage
The regional tourism project "Route of Industrial Heritage" is a 400 kilometre circular route through the region of the “Ruhrgebiet”. Blast furnaces, gasometers and pithead towers still shape the face of the Ruhr metropolis. They are important witnesses of the 150-year-old industrial past of the district. The disused factories – many of them are preserved sites of historic interest - are not places of wistful memories, but have long since developed into "lively” industry cultural spaces and attractive venues with touristic appeal. The core network of the "Route of Industrial Heritage" includes 27 so-called anchor points, the "highlights of the industrial culture", including among others the Centre for International Light Art in Unna:
www.route-industriekultur.ruhr
HELLWEG - ein LICHTWEG
HELLWEG – ein LICHTWEG (Hellweg, a Light Path) is a modular, extensible cultural project of a city network in the Hellweg region. Since its foundation in 2002 it has led to several light art related projects, enhancing the region’s identity as light art region. Each year new works of light art made by nationally and internationally renowned artists are being realized. So far, 10 cities show around 40 installations:
www.hellweg-ein-lichtweg.de
![Joseph Kosuth | Die Signatur des Wortes [Licht und Finsternis] | 2001](/media/banner/large/joseph-kosuth-die-signatur-des-wortes-licht-und-finsternis-2001 "Joseph Kosuth | Die Signatur des Wortes [Licht und Finsternis] | 2001")
