The Buddha Statue at Kuensel Phodrang in Thimphu came alive last night with Gerry Hofstetter’s light art. His projections featured the national flag, masks and mandala, among other things, For the Swiss light artist and filmmaker, Bhutan marks the 88th country where he has showcased his art.
Despite the cold at Kuensel Phodrang, around a hundred people gathered to witness Gerry Hofstetter’s light art projection on the Buddha Statue yesterday.
The Buddha Point, which is usually closed to the public after 6 PM, remained open. The exhibition featured over ten artworks inspired by Bhutan, each illuminating the country’s vibrant colours.
“I start reading about the history, about the culture, how this country developed, about the present and the future. Then I’m looking at the art, how the people are doing handicrafts, the patterns of the clothes. I look at how they put things together, how they paint. And all this I’m combining in the sense of messages and paintings I’m doing and put this by light on their monuments.”
Besides Thimphu, Hofstetter and his team went to Paro and Punakha, featuring visual arts such as a tiger near the cliff of Paro Dzong and the national flag on the Punakha Dzong.
Hofstetter said these projections were made possible due to his team’s efforts and the country’s favourable weather and geography.
“The equipment, nearly two tonnes of projectors and cables, was sent from Switzerland. We had to operate like a special forces team, such as here, we have ten people from the Bhutan team and six from my Swiss team. Together, we travelled independently across the country, equipped with generators, projectors, pickups, and cars, to reach these monuments.”
“Since this is such a complex arrangement and we could not do it on our own, we had to put the proposal to the government, such as the Prime Minister’s Office, PMO and then from there, PMO gave the permission. Later on, they requested if this could be done as part of the national day celebration. So it was given to the Home Ministry and the committee, and then from there it went to the Royal Office for Media, so this is why we were able to do this with their cooperation and support,” said Sonam Zangmo, a team member from Bhutan.
Hofstetter added that he plans to join the United Nations’ International Year Glacier Preservation, using his art to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect glaciers.
As he departs the country and continues his journey, Hofstetter leaves a message of hope, encouraging the world to view Bhutan as an inspiration.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sonam Pem
