The Light, Durham — Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light

Location: The Light, Durham, UK

Date: Opening August 22, 2026

Project: Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light, inaugural exhibition

Why it Matters: The first venue of its scale for international contemporary art in County Durham

The Light opens on August 22 in the former Durham Light Infantry Museum, a building that has sat in the middle of Durham for decades without much connection to contemporary art. Durham County Council funded the conversion, working with architects NORR to rebuild the interior into gallery space suited to large-scale commissions.

Exterior photo of The Light, 2026

The inaugural exhibition, Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light, brings together seven artists working with light as a medium: Olafur Eliasson, Tracey Emin, Steve McQueen, Jenny Holzer, David Shrigley, Cerith Wyn Evans and Chila Burman. The show includes new commissions alongside existing works.

It's a crime to live with the person you don't love by Tracey Emin

Neon Forms (after Noh II) by Cerith Wyn Evans

Hanging Monkey by Chila Burmanf

The subject connects to local history. Joseph Swan, inventor of the incandescent light bulb, was born in County Durham in 1828. Durham University currently runs research programs in optics and space science, and the venue sits within the county's Innovation District.

A DLI Gallery remains inside the building, dedicated to the history of the Durham Light Infantry regiment. It runs alongside the contemporary exhibition program.

Tony Guillan is the venue's artistic director. Natasha Howes curated the opening exhibition.

More info: thelightdurham.org

Cover credit: Our Spectral Vision, by Liz West, 2026