Lighting the Sound

Lighting the Sound is FORM's first event for Albany 2026. The City of Albany’s ambitions are for events during Albany 2026 to:

• Promote Albany as a regional centre for high quality art, cultural and tourism experiences.
• Highlight and celebrate Western Australia’s unique culture and stories, particularly those of the Menang Noongar people.  
• Broaden awareness of Albany and the Great Southern Region as a tourism destination.
• Increase visitation to and spend in Albany, and more broadly the Great Southern Region.

Kari Kola (Finland) is an artist renowned for his breathtaking large-scale light treatments of natural and human-made phenomena, notably the Connemara Mountains (2020, Ireland), and Stonehenge (2018, UK). Lighting the Sound is the first opportunity to see his work in Australia.

In 2024, FORM brought Kari to Albany to scope the project. On his visit, the artist was inspired by the Menang/Bloodroot, a plant important to the history and culture of the region’s Menang Noongar peoples and, with approval from the Elders, Kari’s lighting concept draws inspiration from this plant.

As the first community in Western Australia to reach the 200-year milestone since European arrival, the eyes of the State, the nation (and beyond) will be on Albany. In our present-day Australian context, the marking of a bicentenary can evoke mixed emotions and experiences; not everyone might view it as an opportunity to celebrate. Yet it’s arguably a powerful opportunity to learn from history, be creative in the present, and to build a shared future.  

FORM’s experience with international artists for spectacles such as Thomas Dambo's Giants of Mandurah (by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, Mandurah) and Field of Light: Avenue of Honour (Bruce Munro, Albany) has shown that there are occasions where the unique aesthetic of a particular artist (wherever they are from) is uniquely appropriate.  

When the occasion is potentially sensitive (such as a bicentenary of European settlement), input from an ‘outside’ creative often recasts the familiar and captures the imagination in a way that is fresh, revelatory and yet non-partisan.  

‍Lighting the Sound is about the deep past as much as the present and the future: it is about moments in all time.  The installation is intentionally ephemeral: programmed to be visible only at certain times of the 24-hour cycle, and for a finite period of time. Large-scale light installations like this bring together large groups of people from all backgrounds and of all ages. While it is a collective experience, everyone is free to process and interpret that experience in an individual way.  

Kari Kola’s profile and reputation for ambitious and breathtaking light installations has ensured a worldwide following. People are eager to see what he does next, and Lighting the Sound draws focus to Albany as an Australian-first experience. The City of Albany is keen for Albany 2026 to welcome many visitors and to share the magic of Albany and the Southwest well beyond domestic audiences. Additionally, Lighting the Sound will be filmed and shared among many audiences who cannot be there in person.

FORM’s other events/concepts for Albany 2026 (Albany Is and Carrying the Fire) later in 2026 centre on local community as both participants and performers.    

The experience has been designed by the artist to be seen from a distance across the Albany Harbour. At this distance, the lights will shimmer and change with the atmospheric conditions and create an aurora-like visual effect.

There will be a number of audience zones within the Albany Town Centre providing visitors a choice of viewpoints to experience the light installation. Please note that the best experience of Lighting the Sound is viewed from a distance, as per the artist's intention. The scale, effects and expansive nature of the artwork is severely reduced if viewed from the area where the lights themselves have been installed. Access to the locations of the lights is restricted and FORM advises that approaching the installations may be hazardous. Please also note that access to Eclipse Island Road (leading to Sharp Point Lookout) will be restricted for the duration of this event. However, all the other recreation sites in Torndirrup National Park will remain open and accessible.

It’s custom lighting equipment that has been made especially for this installation, with a specific hue to make as little environmental impact as possible. Over 750 LED lights will shine over a 12km range, and across this range, 15 x red pencil beams—Ayrton Mambas— will shine into the sky like towers. Ayrton Mambas are groundbreaking, versatile lighting equipment, spectacular for special effects, and considered the strongest on the planet.  

With this array, Lighting the Sound is anticipated to be the largest outdoor light installation of this type ever staged.  

No, all lights will be directed away from residential areas, either at the hills and landforms of Torndirrup National Park and Vancouver Peninsula, or straight up into the night sky.

Lighting the Sound has been thoughtfully designed to prioritise the environment, local residents and audiences. The project operates under the environmental oversight of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to ensure minimal impact.

The installation will only be visible for a few hours each evening, reducing its environmental footprint. The light colours have been carefully selected in accordance with the National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife 2023 (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), avoiding wavelengths at the higher-impact ultraviolet end of the spectrum. Additionally, the use of energy-efficient LED technology ensures minimal power consumption throughout the event.

FORM is deeply committed to minimising environmental impact and supporting long-term conservation efforts. For Lighting the Sound, FORM has partnered with carbon offsetting solutions providers Tasman Environmental Markets, Wilderlands and Carbon Neutral to offset all emissions made during the project’s lifecycle with biodiverse reforestation carbon credits from Carbon Neutral’s Wilyun Pools project 1hr east of Albany, and additional certified ‘extended impact’ improved forest management carbon credits from TEM’s April Salumei project in Papa New Guinea (the largest rainforest conservation project in PNG). Additionally, these extended impact credits support three Wilderland projects in Australia, which protect the habitat of endangered animals and threatened plant species, safeguarding Australia’s unique biodiversity.

FORM and the artist, Kari Kola, deeply respect and value the precious natural environment of the Western Australian south coast. We have worked closely with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to ensure the project meets all environmental standards and approvals, and to fully understand potential risks and impacts on wildlife. The timing and duration of the experience have been carefully scheduled to minimise any disruption to the local flora and fauna. Through this project, we aim to not only create a breathtaking experience, but also to spread awareness about the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystems of this unique region.

Key measures we’ve taken to protect the environment include:

• Collaborating with DBCA to carefully select tower sites, ensuring no threatened or endangered flora or fauna are present.
• Avoiding migratory bird breeding grounds, such as Breaksea and Michaelmas Islands.
• Working with DWER to avoid placing towers within key public drinking water source areas.
• Selecting lighting colours and designs that minimise environmental impact.
• Requiring all crew working in the national park to complete Green Card training to ensure they follow best practices for environmental care.

Through this project, FORM and Kari Kola aim to not only create a stunning experience but also raise awareness about the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystems of the south coast.

Come and enjoy it as a spectator
Some of the key areas set up especially for this event are ANZAC Peace Park, the Marina and Albany town centre (Stirling Terrace).
More information will be forthcoming about what’s happening in each audience zone so keep an eye out.
Please note that there may be some traffic management and/or road closures. Parking will be limited in areas we expect to be the busiest.  

‍As a hospitality provider / tourism experience operator
If you’re a hospitality provider or tourism operator, we’d love to talk to you about how you might leverage this major event into a special opportunity for your business.
We expect significant numbers of tourists to visit Albany during Lighting the Sound, presenting a big opportunity for you. We’re happy to discuss how FORM might be able to support any initiatives you might be considering that align with this major event. See contact details below.

‍As a volunteer
Any contribution as a volunteer is sincerely appreciated! We fondly remember the support shown by the local community for Field of Light: Avenue of Honour, our last light installation in Albany in 2018. If you’d like to help with Lighting the Sound, please register with the Albany & Regional Volunteer Service (https://www.arvs.org.au/).

Want to know more? Visit albany2026.com.au/flagship/balgang-albany

‍For any questions or media requests, please contact our team at media@form.net.au or call the FORM office on 08 9385 2200.  

FORM is an independent, not-for-profit arts and cultural organisation with headquarters on Whadjuk Noongar land in Perth. Our mission is to be a leader in developing a vibrant creative economy for the benefit and wellbeing of all Western Australian communities.

We connect and collaborate with communities, creative practitioners, businesses and all levels of government throughout the State. We explore and empower meaningful social and cultural engagement through artistic projects, high-impact partnerships, and creative learning programs.  

In responding to Western Australia’s size, diversity, economic complexity and creative potential, we’re unafraid to push boundaries in supporting the growth of confident, expressive mindsets and lives.