Christ the Redeemer Illuminated for Christmas in Rio de Janeiro

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The famous Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue lit up with illustrations and designs by French-Italian artist Gaspare di Caro on December 23rd and December 24th to help the city of Rio de Janeiro celebrate Christmas 2015.

Perched on top the Morro do Corcovado, in Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Tijuca National Park), Christ the Redeemer stands some ninety feet tall on a 26-foot tall pedestal. The statue`s famous outstretched arms spread some 92 feet across.

Speaking about the video projection events, the rector of the Santuário Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer Shrine) Father Omar told Agência Brasil; “Christ the Redeemer once again opens his arms, showing the Brazilian population that Christmas is a time of great importance for the renewal of hope and faith of the Brazilian people.

“Today we can, through this projection mapping and this technology, show that we are celebrating,” Father Omar added. “Although it is a moment is of great instability, we can not lose faith in better days. Christmas is indeed a time to strengthen our hope and our faith.”

The images projected on the statue during the events were designed by French-Italian luminograph Gaspare Di Caro. He is known for developing and using special projectors patterned after the camera obscura, a device use by Leonardo da Vinci; inventor of the daguerreotype, Louis Daguerre; and architect Fillipo Brunelleschi, among others.

Di Caro worked previously with the statue of Christ the Redeemer and is considered to be the first luminographer to include a face for the statue in his designs.