Multiple venues
Thursday, May 16, free
www.lightday.org
Every May 16, UNESCO’s International Day of Light is celebrated around the world, “a global initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications, and energy.” There are several events here in New York City, all free. “Art of Light” at the HoloCenter at 352 Canal St. is hosting film screenings and discussion, held in conjunction with the exhibition “Iridescence,” comprising art holograms by Michael Bleyenberg, =Lana Blum, Philippe Boissonnet, Patrick Boyd, Betsy Connors, Pascal Gauchet, Setsuko Ishii, Sam Moree, August Muth, Ray Park, and Fred Unterseher; among the participants are Max Clarke, Eric Leiser, Lindsay Packer, Matthew Schreiber, and Moree, with a showing of Ikuo Nakamura’s 3D Gentle Storm, images of the Aurora Borealis under a G2 magnetic storm, with music by flutist Hayes Greenfield. Appropriately for the International Day of Light, there will be a Flash Mob in Times Square, a live pop-up installation choreographed by Carlos Neto and with cinematography by Jayna Maslechko; if you want to join in, meet up at 6:00 at Valerie at 45 West 45th St.; the event takes place at 8:05 at 47th St. and Broadway. Let there be light!