“Fiat Lux: Illuminating Our Common Home” developed in partnership with Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., the Li Ka Shing Foundation, Okeanos and Obscura Digital, under the auspices of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate, as Gift of Large Scale Architectural Projection to Pope Francis and call to protect our common home
VATICAN CITY, Dec. 4, 2015 — On Dec. 8, a humanitarian coalition comprised of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., the Li Ka Shing Foundation and Okeanos, in partnership with The Oceanic Preservation Society and Obscura Digital, and under the auspices of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate initiative, will present a gift of contemporary public art entitled “Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home” to Pope Francis on the opening day of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. At this unprecedented and historic event, beautiful images of our shared natural world will be projected onto the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica in a contemporary work of public art that tells the visual story of the interdependency of humans and life on earth with the planet, in order to educate and inspire change around the climate crisis across generations, cultures, languages, religions and class.
The large-scale architectural public art installation is inspired by the themes of climate change, human dignity and the earth’s living creatures in the Encyclical “Laudato Si’” of Pope Francis. Programmed to coincide not only with the Jubilee, but also with COP21 in Paris, the historic occasion will call on citizens of the world to join a global movement to protect our common home. The projection can be viewed live by those at St. Peter’s Basilica and via live global television broadcasts and online streaming.
The cinematic event will feature the work of some of the world’s most notable humanistic and nature photographers and filmmakers including Sebastião Salgado (Genesi and Contrasto), Joel Sartore (National Geographic Photo Ark), Yann Arthus Bertrand (Human), David Doubilet, Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson (Samsara), Howard Hall, Shawn Heinrichs, Greg Huglin, Chris Jordan, Steve McCurry, Paul Nicklen and Louie Schwartzberg. The projection is curated by Louie Psihoyos and Travis Threlkel, and produced by Obscura Digital.
Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home
Li Ka-shing says, “It is a great honor to be a part of ‘Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home.’ It is our hope that this project will inspire reflection, rekindling our quest for spiritual and scientific wisdom, renewing our hope and steadfastness. While science and technology can broaden human perspective, it is only through love that humanity can prevail. That is why it is such a privilege to participate in this project here, at the very nexus of the philosophy of brotherly love. We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity.”
