The increased urgency of ecological, social and political issues across the planet has incited artists and activists in many countries to reflect on how to make their strategies of interventions more effective. The use and adaptation of new technologies plays an important role in these efforts.

In this context, light and its wide scope of applications has particularly attracted the attention of artists, intellectuals, protesters, activists and other politically engaged citizens. Aware of the power of striking still and moving images to cause people to watch, listen and read, they have been desirous to make use of the manifold technical capabilities of light technology to get wider media attention, whether it be the legacy press and TV channels or social media communication. In recent years, a staggering variety of new forms of using light to create attention and communicate messages has emerged.

The smart use of light to enhance protests was already visible in the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011/12 and has become increasingly noticeable in recent demonstrations regarding climate change, democracy, Black Lives Matter or the LGBT movement. Artists like Robin Bell, Jenny Holzer, Dustin Klein, The Illuminator collective, Joanie Lemercier and Delight Lab have created projects in the recent years to address the pressing social, ecological and political issues that roil societies from North and South America to Europe and beyond.