Art of Darkness Special Session – Copenhagen, 23–25 September 2026 (in the context of Light Symposium 2026)
Description:
The Horizon Europe project Art of Darkness explores the role of darkness as a cultural, environmental, and experiential resource in urban and heritage contexts. It investigates how darkness-sensitive design, light art, and co-creation processes can generate beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive night-time experiences, in the context of new European Bauhaus initiative.
This special session at Light Symposium 2026 invites contributions that expand the understanding of darkness beyond the absence of light – positioning it as an active design material and a driver of human experience, ecological balance, and cultural value. Authors are invited to submit abstracts of original work, which will undergo double-blind peer review. Accepted contributions will be developed into full papers published in the IOP Conference Series proceedings.
Topics of Interest (including but not limited to):
• Darkness-sensitive design in urban and heritage contexts
• Perceptual and experiential qualities of darkness
• Light art and artistic practices engaging with darkness
• Co-design and participatory approaches in low-light and dark environments
• Human, ecological, and environmental aspects of low-light design
• Methods, tools, and case studies related to designing with darkness
• Connections to the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion in darkness aware design
Venue
The Art of Darkness special session is organized in the context of the 12th Light Symposium which will be hosted at Aalborg University Campus in Copenhagen
Chair:
Henrika Pihlajaniemi – University of Oulu
Submission
Submit your abstract at https://www.morressier.com/call-for-abstracts/LS-2026
During submission, select “Other topic” and add “Art of Darkness” as keyword
Important Dates
Extended abstract submission: 13. April 2026
Notification of abstract acceptance: 4. May 2026
Full paper submission (optional for authors of accepted abstracts wishing to submit a full paper for proceedings publication): 25. June 2026
Presenter’s registration (required for at least one of the authors of accepted abstracts who will present at LS2026): 25. June 2026
Early bird registration: 25. June 2026
Notification of full paper acceptance: 31. August 2026
Camera ready (final) full paper submission: 16. September 2026
Conference dates: 23.-25. September 2026