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Burlington Sessions #6: A New Language of Lighting

Listen to Lighting Designers and Artists to find out more about their passions on lighting architecture.

Signify and the Lighting Academy hosted the 6th Burlington Sessions, a CoCreate aimed at bringing together world renown lighting artists and designers.

Our goal is to engage with extreme/ fringe lighting artists and designers – those who inspire us, push the limits of what lighting can do and create a new language of lighting.

The 6th edition happened on June 26 - 27, 2025.

Find out who have been our guests this time and listen to them by viewing the videos below

Our Guests

Claudia Costa

Co-founder at FIERCE-ART

Cláudia Costa (b. 1980, Portugal) is a curator, artist, and architect with over 20 years of experience. She holds a degree in Architecture (Porto, 2003), a Master’s in Lighting Design (Madrid, 2008), and completed Executive Education in Curating at the Royal College of Art (London, 2024).
Cláudia has been awarded, published, and exhibited internationally. Her work is known for creating sustainable and large-scale installations that elevate human experience through light. In 2018 to 2020, she was the Creative Director for the light art festival: "LIGHTME Lusail" in Qatar, in 2022 she was invited to be part of the creative team for the Boulevard Activation Fest during the FIFA World Cup. Currently based in Portugal, she leads Fierce-Art, developing public art across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Her practice focuses on universal values and collective belonging, using light as a common language.

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Kara O’Grady

Director of Installations

at Evoke Collaborative

Kara O’Grady’s diverse portfolio includes projects ranging from ABC Studios to Vapiano restaurants. Kara is not new to the world of lighting design. Since graduating from North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Lighting Design, her career has spanned the gamut from dance to systems integration. Starting out lighting opera and dance Kara traveled up and down the East Coast designing in multiple venues.

In New York, Kara joined PRG Systems, working on

permanent installations that involved creating and renovating theaters, TV studios, and transforming the NYC skyline with light. Kara’s love of creating immersive environments and aversion to inconsistent color temperatures led her to specialize in Architectural Lighting Design. When Kara is not improving the world through better lighting, she enjoys running 13.1 miles for shiny medals.

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Ton Kek

Sr. Associate at Lighting

Planners Associates

Ton Kek has been a lighting designer for over 20 years, bringing a wealth of experience from working with various reputable lighting companies. He began his career as an interior designer but discovered his passion for lighting design after visiting one of his mentor’s projects during his school years. Since then, Ton has been actively involved in the design and project management of both small- and large-scale developments, including numerous international hospitality projects. These experiences have helped him develop strong analytical skills and effective problem-solving techniques. His lighting design approach is rooted in a deep understanding of spatial design, allowing him to integrate appropriate lighting techniques that foster a visual dialogue between the space and its users.

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Michael Sestak

Founder of Sestak Lighting Design

MICHAEL SESTAK is an artist and designer using light as his medium.

In 2000 his life-long fascination with light in its various forms compelled him to transition from the culinary arts to the world of residential and commercial lighting design.

He enjoys bringing exterior illumination to enhance residential grounds and gardens and bringing dynamic lighting effects to commercial and civic locations to enhance the nighttime experience.

Website

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Mike Grabowski

Lighting Design Group

Mike Grabowski is just your average Philly street magician turned Emmy-winning lighting designer. After starting out in theatre, he’s now a Senior Lighting Designer at The Lighting Design Group, bringing over 20 years of experience in broadcast and live events. He’s worked on everything from small interview setups with just a few lights to the spectacle—and chaos—of productions like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Mike was also a Knights of Illumination finalist for his lighting work with Billie Eilish. Known for his collaborative style, he sees “impossible” as just another problem to collaboratively figure out. Sometimes you just need to light major network shows with clip lights.

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Morgann Le Bars

Lead Lighting Engineer, at Norwich group

MORGANN LE BARS is the Lead Lighting Engineer at New Zealand based company Norwich Group Ltd. His work explores the emotional and spatial potential of outdoor light. He creates immersive environments that merge storytelling, infrastructure and sensory experience. With an award-winning background in both technical design and urban installations, Morgann’s projects range from illuminated bridges and stadiums to experimental light-based public art. More than anything else, his work is driven by community: every space he lights becomes a canvas for the people and stories it holds, aiming not just to illuminate, but to reveal what makes each place alive.

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Chris Werner

Founder of Chris Werner Design

Chris Werner is a lighting and media designer based in Los Angeles, CA. With a foundation in drama, he brings a storytelling lens to experiences spanning themed entertainment, architecture, and live performances. Through his studio, Chris Werner Design, he's contributed to both large-scale spectacles and intimate moments — creating worlds for Meow Wolf, visual narratives for luxury brands like Cartier and Dior, and walk-thru attractions in Miami and Riyadh. His team embraces technology, thrives in scale scale, values collaboration, and always puts the story first.

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Burlington Sessions #6: New Language of Lighting

Burlington Sessions #6: A New Language of Lighting

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