Espoo’s Weekend of Light showcases the human figures that have captivated audiences around the world
Alexander Reichstein’s They Were Here installation featuring historical figures glowing in UV light is built on the courtyard of Exhibition Centre WeeGee. The Weekend of Light also includes other light-related installations, works, performances and workshops at Espoo Cultural Centres and in the Espoonlahti area, from 6 to 8 February 2026.
Alexander Reichstein’s They Were Here installation featuring historical figures glowing in UV light is built on the courtyard of Exhibition Centre WeeGee. The Weekend of Light also includes other light-related installations, works, performances and workshops at Espoo Cultural Centres and in the Espoonlahti area, from 6 to 8 February 2026.
The Weekend of Light brings much-needed glow and warmth to February darkness and delights visitors of all ages at free events around Espoo. Some of the events will also be on display for a longer time. Organisers include Exhibition Centre WeeGee, Espoo Cultural Centre, Sello Hall, Children’s Cultural Centre Aurora and the Espoonlahti cultural project.
WeeGee’s works at their best in the dark
The highlight of the Weekend of Light can be seen in front of Exhibition Centre WeeGee, at the Art Park of Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA in Tapiola. Alexander Reichstein: The figures selected from the They Were Here installation will be displayed in WeeGee, between 6 and 15 February. The entire series consists of more than 50 human figures, 15 of which have been selected for WeeGee. There is also one flying angel and a few animal figures.
The artist calls their works in WeeGee "drawings made with wire in a three-dimensional space" representing human figures from the beginning of the 1800s to the mid-1900s. The figures are at their best in the dark, when UV light makes the light, ghost-like figures glow.
- The figures are always selected in different ways according to each location, often based on local history and the surroundings; especially when there are old buildings from a certain era in the area. In Espoo, the figures are in contrast with the modern architecture, but as it is well known that there have been settlements in the area for a long time, we ended up with the name "They Were Here", explains Reichstein.
Very different and differently scaled installations from the same project have been seen in various parts of Finland and Europe, in previous years, for example at the Berlin Festival of Lights, the Doornenburg Castle in the Netherlands, the Staro Rīga Light Festival in Latvia and the Fête de la Lumière in Chartres in France. A few of the works on display in WeeGee were also in the LUX Helsinki light art festival in 2016.
Reichstein is a graphic designer and illustrator who draws inspiration from old art and historical imagery. Reichstein’s work has been on display at the Amos Anderson Museum, Heureka, Ateneum, the National Museum of Finland and the Finnish Military Museum, to name a few.
Learn more about Alexander Reichstein at: www.reichstein.name(external link, opens in a new window)
Light baths, dancing fireflies and a break from the rush
The Weekend of Light also brings events to other parts of Espoo.
Children’s Cultural Centre Aurora, in Järvenperä, offers light baths for babies and toddlers. You should also stop by to watch the circus performances in the Aurora Winter Yard, not forgetting the afterparty of the Winter Yard, where the snow mountain will be illuminated in colours!
In the Sello Hall light box workshop in Leppävaara, you can make aurorae-like shadow designs, and in the Dance of the Fireflies contemporary circus performance, you get to take a peek at a delicate and magical moment between light and the individual. The solo work by circus artist Sini Napari takes music, light, movement and balancing to a new level.
The multi-channel video installation Recovery/Reset is on display at the Espoo Cultural Centre in Tapiola. The calm and reflective work offers a momentary break away from rush and noise.
In Espoonlahti, you can see light painting in the light workshop and the performance of the light circus Spektri. Light Artist Hannu Huhtamo creates spectacular portraits of the participants on the exterior wall of the Lippulaiva Urban Centre, using light painting techniques, long camera exposure and various lighting instruments. The light circus Spektri’s performance combines dance, music and tricks made with LED equipment. You can take part in the light painting and watching the performance at the Solmutori square in Lippulaiva.
For more detailed information on the Weekend of Light events, visit: www.espoo.fi/en/valonviikonloppu