The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 2 (188), 529—535
UDK 72.01:535.2:7.05
- Received: 06.03.2026
- Accepted: 27.03.2026
- Published: ??.??.2026
CITY LIGHT: ARTISTIC ASPECTS OF NIGHT URBANISM
SOSNYTSKYI Yurii
- ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2463-6903
- PhD of Art Studies,
- Associate Professor (Department of Fine Arts and Design),
- O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv,
- 17, Chornoglazivska Str., 61002, Kharkiv, Ukraine,
- Contacts: e-mail: soyual@ukr.net
KORENNA Anna
- Master’s student, O.M. Beketov National University
- of Urban Economy in Kharkiv,
- 17, Chornoglazivska Str., 61002, Kharkiv, Ukraine,
- Contacts: e-mail: korenna.anna@kname.edu.ua
Abstract. This article explores the artistic aspects of the light environment of the contemporary city as a component of night urbanism. The study considers light not merely as a technical instrument of illumination, but as an independent artistic medium that shapes the visual identity of urban space. In the context of continuous urban activity and increasing visual saturation, nighttime lighting becomes a decisive factor in the perception of architecture, atmosphere formation, and spatial hierarchy.
The research examines the compositional, aesthetic, and symbolic functions of light in architectural illumination, landscape design, and media architecture. Particular attention is given to the role of light in constructing visual dominance, spatial readability, and urban dramaturgy. The study analyzes how brightness contrasts, color temperature, rhythm, and spectral characteristics influence the emotional and psychological perception of the city at night.
The article also addresses the typology of nighttime urban spaces, including historical districts, memorial zones, recreational areas, and commercial environments, each requiring distinct lighting strategies. The integration of programmable LED technologies, interactive systems, and media facades is examined as a transformative force that redefines the relationship between architecture and digital communication.
The subject of the study is the artistic and aesthetic properties of lighting design in the nighttime urban environment. The object of the study is lighting practices and visual strategies that shape the nocturnal image of the city. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining art historical analysis, urban studies, spatial semiotics, environmental psychology, and theories of visual communication. This methodological synthesis enables a comprehensive interpretation of light as both a technological resource and a cultural phenomenon.
The findings demonstrate that lighting design functions as a synthetic medium integrating aesthetics, psychology, technology, and urban ethics. Nighttime illumination not only enhances architectural visibility but constructs urban identity, organizes perceptual routes, reinforces cultural memory, and creates atmospheric scenarios that define the quality of nocturnal urban life. As digital technologies and media architecture continue to evolve, the artistic dimension of light becomes increasingly significant in shaping sustainable and culturally meaningful urban environments.
Keywords: lighting design, night urbanism, urban space, architectural illumination, media architecture, visual identity, urban aesthetics.
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