"Winter lights" in the palm garden: strolling through a work of art

In the palm garden it is actually most beautiful when the sun is shining. But if you defy rain and cold these days and take a walk through the park in Frankfurt's Westend in the evening, you have the opportunity to let yourself be enraptured by the bright rays in the dark season. Until January 9th, around 600 spotlights and around 300 objects will turn the palm garden into a surreal dream landscape in which visitors can "experience funny and bizarre things", as Wolfgang Flammersfeld says. The light artist and his employees want to make it possible to "forget everyday life" and by that he also means the stress that a global pandemic brings with it. To do this, they laid twelve kilometers of cables, installed loudspeakers and lasers and, where necessary, even switched off a couple of lanterns.The winter lights are still not entirely without Corona measures: If you want to stroll here, you have to hide in advance because of the hygiene concept

, the 2-G rule applies, tickets are only available on the Internet.

Access to the winter lights is only permitted after the regular parking hours from 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m.

Anyone who gets through the entry procedure will be amazed.

No matter where you turn your head, something can be discovered in every corner of the 150-year-old park.

Buildings and trees shine sometimes in bright rainbow colors, sometimes in soft pink and appear so surreal and artificial that you feel as if you have stumbled through a rabbit hole into wonderland.

The so-called Ginnheimer asparagus, the television tower, in the well-known magenta fits perfectly into the picture on the horizon.

Spherical sounds and spectacular installations

While walking through the park, one comes across abstract projections, accompanied by spherical sounds.

To spectacular installations, such as the Octagon Fountain near the entrance, where fascinating illuminations open up to the glam rock of the band Queen.

And you can find little gimmicks, like a swarm of humming bees in the middle of winter, or roaring dinosaurs between the bushes.

Flammersfeld paid attention to sustainability in the design: the bees are made from coffee mugs, the dinosaurs are projected onto old fly screens, and neon-colored braids that hang from the tops of the trees by the palm house are made from exhaust air hoses from dryers.

"In principle it's rubbish, but we love that," says Flammersfeld during a tour of the park, because: "Anyone can buy."

His favorite installation can be found a little hidden on the edge of the park.

abstract, constantly changing forms are thrown onto a house wall between the trees, shortly behind are hydrant-like objects that emit futuristic robot sounds.

The atmosphere is also special at the pond in front of the grotto, which glitters in pink light.

There is also a wishing tree near the palm house, which is decorated with glowing lucky pigs.

Even those who have already forgotten everyday life while strolling can formulate a hope for the next year here, for example the end of the pandemic.

Further information: www.palmengarten.de