County Durham is set to gain its most ambitious contemporary art destination to date with the opening of The Light, a new cultural venue that will transform the former Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery into a centre for contemporary art, science, innovation and public engagement.
Opening on 22nd August 2026, The Light has been created following a major redevelopment by Durham County Council and award-winning architects NORR. Positioned within Durham’s emerging Innovation District, the new venue aims to bring nationally and internationally significant contemporary art exhibitions to a region that has historically lacked a venue of this scale and remit.
The Light will combine contemporary visual art with local history, scientific discovery and technological innovation through a programme of exhibitions, commissions, immersive installations and public events. While the venue embraces a new future-facing identity, it will retain its connection to the region’s military heritage through a dedicated Durham Light Infantry gallery featuring objects, archives, film and interactive displays drawn from the historic DLI Collection.
The inaugural exhibition, Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light, will explore the artistic possibilities of light through works spanning the 1960s to the present day. Bringing together internationally recognised artists including Tracey Emin, Olafur Eliasson, Jenny Holzer, Steve McQueen, David Shrigley, Cerith Wyn Evans and Chila Burman, the exhibition examines how artists have transformed light from a functional technology into a powerful artistic medium.
The exhibition takes inspiration from the legacy of Joseph Swan, the Sunderland-born inventor of the incandescent light bulb, and connects artistic experimentation with County Durham’s long history of scientific innovation. Alongside major works by artists such as Dan Flavin, Glenn Ligon, Iván Navarro and Katie Paterson, the exhibition will feature a series of new commissions by Tine Bech, Katrin Hanusch and Erin McDougle created specifically for the opening programme.
The redevelopment represents more than a cultural investment. Situated at Aykley Heads, a short walk from Durham railway station, The Light is intended to become a focal point within Durham’s Innovation District, a partnership between Durham County Council, Durham University and development company Muse. The venue will act as both a cultural destination and a meeting place connecting creativity, research, technology and community.
Tony Guillan, formerly of Tate, Southbank Centre and Coventry UK City of Culture, has been appointed Artistic Director and will lead the programme. He describes The Light as an opportunity to create “a new kind of cultural space” where contemporary artistic practice can enter into dialogue with history, science and emerging technologies.
As cultural institutions across the UK continue to rethink their role within regional economies and civic life, The Light arrives with ambitions that extend beyond exhibition-making. Combining contemporary art, heritage, learning and innovation under one roof, it aims to establish County Durham as a significant new destination on the UK’s cultural map.
The Light opens in Durham on 22 August 2026. The inaugural exhibition, Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light, runs until 17 January 2027.
