“(…) The clock towers of churches, cathedrals or other public monuments naturally became the designated places from where fireworks would be launched, later being replaced by the high-rising buildings of the contemporary cities. The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Seattle Needle, or the Burj Khalifa skyscraper have all been revealed, illuminated, and celebrated with fire at many occasions. The Sublime – a notion that has mostly been understood in relation to the experience of a beautiful yet threatening nature in the XVIIIth century – seems relevant when trying to understand how both architecture and fireworks have succeeded at times in provoking awe in the largest crowds.(…)”
Through a series of anecdotes, the short illustrated essay attempts to point at how both firework displays and architecture can be seen as spatial constructions possessing the power to allure large audiences.
On Fireworks and Architecture was published as a contribution to Real-Time Realist #1, a reader initiated by J-L TF press and designed by Karlis Krecers.
