There is certainly no shortage of art in Vienna. Numerous museums are located here and last year a new art park opened on the Danube. The music scene is also impressive, with its numerous operas, musicals and, last but not least, our world-famous New Year’s Concert. In December, our city was enriched by another work of art, which has already become a popular photo motif. What is behind the installation “Infinity of Light”, which has been adorning the Votive Church for a few weeks now?
The next light installation at a Viennese church
Viennese conceptual artist Billi Thanner is the creator of the new work of art at the Votive Church. However, this is not her first illuminated installation in her home city. She also created the ladder to heaven that climbs up St. Stephen’s Cathedral. This work can also be found in other cities such as Cologne, Paris and Münster. On December 16, 2025, a second work was added to a church in the form of the “Infinity of Light”, which was ceremoniously inaugurated three days later.
The aluminum construction measures a full 28 meters in length and is always illuminated by 4,900 LEDs in the evening hours. Until August 2026, the horizontal eight will surround the church towers and enrich our city with another work of art. For Thanner, light means life and she wanted to make this visible in the city with her work.
Divided opinions on the “infinity of light”
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Since the artwork was installed in December, pictures and videos of the illuminated infinity symbol have been circulating on social media. While many are enthusiastic about the “Infinity of Light”, there are also a few negative voices who wish the symbol would disappear again.
Others clearly see the work as the creation of a millennial. The comments jokingly note the parallel to the trend of the infinity sign as a tattoo, as was fashionable in the 2010s. Thanner was born in 1972 and is therefore a member of Gen X. Overall, however, the vast majority of the online community is impressed and Vienna now not only has an octopus in a fountain, but also an infinity sign on a church.