Prize(s) Winners in Theater Performance Lighting
Lighting Design/Product Company YiLight Art Studio
Lead Designers Yilun Zhan
Photo Credits Qiyue Zhang, Jia Chen
Other Credits Dancer: Yunqi Gao
Completion Date 02/02/2025
Project Location New York City, US
Entry DescriptionA Human Permeability introduces an innovative manual lighting approach, blurring boundaries between illumination, movement, and space. Employing minimal flashlight sources and reflective materials, each beam is intuitively guided by hand, deeply intertwined with the narrative expressed by the performer. Here, lighting transcends its role as mere tool, becoming an artistic medium—fluid, responsive, and emotionally resonant. This exploration gently challenges traditional stage lighting methods, suggesting intimate new possibilities for theater and lighting art.
As the piece unfolds, light dynamically shifts with the evolving story—from subtle reflections to precise, sculptural highlights—accentuating themes of empowerment, fluid identity, and human presence. Manual lighting paired with reflective textures articulates nuanced emotions: vulnerability through soft gradients, tension in sharp contrasts, and vitality within shimmering transitions, enabling the performer to embody limitless human possibilities.
Ultimately, this approach dissolves the boundary between light and movement, transforming illumination into a brush that paints ephemeral beauty—poetic, expressive, and fleeting as strokes across the sky.
Sustainability ApproachThis project embraces a sustainable lighting approach by replacing traditional high-energy equipment with rechargeable flashlights and reflective materials. The manual technique greatly reduces power consumption while producing rich and nuanced lighting effects. Its portability and minimal technical requirements make it ideal for small venues, eliminating the need for fixed installations or power-intensive setups. Compared to conventional projector-based systems consuming over 2–5 kW per hour, this method uses less than 20W per flashlight. Over a two-hour performance, it can reduce energy consumption by over 90%, while simultaneously expanding the expressive richness and emotional depth of the stage experience.
