WINTERLIGHTS
View Christopher Bauder profile →2026 · DARK MATTER, TRANSFORMATOR, Berlin, Germany
Thousands of lights pulse beneath a transparent ice rink, while hundreds of illuminated fir trees hang above the skaters.
Created by Christopher Bauder, WINTERLIGHTS transforms DARK MATTER's monumental TRANSFORMATOR art hall in Berlin into an immersive winter environment. The installation combines a suspended forest of more than 600 fir trees with an enlarged ice rink illuminated from below.
Light moves through the trees and across the ice in choreographed sequences accompanied by an original musical composition from Chris Kuijten. Reflections, changing colours and the movement of skaters continually alter how the installation is experienced.
Unlike installations designed primarily for observation, WINTERLIGHTS gives visitors a physical way to engage with the artwork. Skating becomes a means of moving through the illuminated environment, with the architecture, lighting and music experienced together.
The work brings Bauder's exploration of light and spatial transformation into a familiar winter activity. People can enjoy the installation through movement and play, without needing prior knowledge of immersive art.
Presented at DARK MATTER in Berlin from 4 November 2026 to 14 February 2027.
Credits
Artist: Christopher Bauder
Production: WHITEvoid & DARK MATTER
Music: Chris Kuijten
Video: WHITEvoid
Source: https://en.darkmatter.berlin/winterlights-26
Media permission: confirmed by user; assets awaiting attachment
About this video
Skaters glide across an ice rink lit from below in changing blue, green, gold and red light, beneath illuminated fir trees suspended in a dark hall. On-screen text: 'CHRISTOPHER BAUDER' throughout, plus 'WINTERLIGHTS', '1000 m² LIGHT ART WITH ICE RINK', 'TRANSFORMATOR HALL FROM 4 NOVEMBER 2026' and a 'DARK MATTER' sign. An audio track plays throughout; it is not captioned.