The first public event of Ballina 2023 will see the town welcome the French Ambassador to Ireland to the north Mayo town for the unveiling of a digital arts installation.
Ambassador Vincent Guérend will unveil Mise en Lumiéres, an audio-visual performance produced by French creative digital start-up ENTER.black at the Humbert Memorial on Humbert Street this evening at 6pm.
Mise en Lumiéres will highlight the architectural and historical features of the monument using light and sound and it will be on display from Thursday to Saturday of this week from 6pm to 10pm. This is the installation’s first appearance in Ireland, where its creators will also undergo a weeklong residency. During this, ENTER.black will engage with young people locally through free creative digital workshops.
The unveiling will also signal the launch of the Year of the French, a year-long initiative celebrating the long-lasting friendship between Ireland and France. It will also be the first milestone in commemorating the 225th anniversary of the French landing in nearby Kilcummin. The 200th anniversary of the death of General Humbert, who led this landing, will also be marked.
Several more events across a range of sectors will take place during Ballina 2023 to commemorate this links, including planting 225 trees of liberty, the Year of the French festival taking place in August and more.
Admission to Mise en Lumiéres is free and open to the public.
