96th National Gathering of the Alpini
Biella, Monte Mucrone, Italy
In the silence of the Biella Alps, a tricolor beam of light crossed the sky. On Monte Mucrone, the light took shape as a sign of identity, transforming the summit into a living flag, visible from miles away. Three beams of light—green, white, and red—etched the night skyline with the same clarity as a symbol carved into the collective memory: the plume of an Alpine hat, proud and unmistakable.
The intervention was conceived by the creative collective Night Life Project to celebrate the 96th National Alpine Troops Gathering held in Biella in May 2025.
The project was born from an intuition of Filippo Regis, author of the visual idea: "I was returning home at dawn. Looking at Mount Mucrone in that light, I noticed that part of it was shaped like an Alpine hat. At that moment, I imagined how evocative it would be to illuminate it with the colors of the Italian flag. I knew it would be an ambitious and difficult task, and I immediately thought that the only ones who could create my vision were the guys at Spacecannon."
It was a challenge that immediately excited us and took us to an altitude of over 1,500 meters, braving the cold, wind, and rain. It was an ambitious mission for an iconic project that we couldn't say no to.
"There was no room for improvisation: we had to design something that was perfectly recognizable, but also technically stable, and above all reversible. With Spacecannon, we worked as a single team: they followed us step by step, with absolute availability and expertise that made all the difference. " Filippo Regis, Creative Director
The project involved lighting the upper part of the ridge of Mount Mucrone at an altitude of over 1,500 meters, in an area with no electrical infrastructure, accessible only on foot. The high-powered Spacecannon projectors, carried by hand along a mule track, were positioned on the ground and adjusted on site with a micrometric optical pointing system. The aim was to obtain compact, aligned beams of light visible from across the city, with clear but never intrusive lighting.
The light remained on for three nights, for a few hours at a time, in order to respect the landscape and local wildlife.
Before installation, inspections and monitoring were carried out with long-exposure telescopes to ensure the absence of protected species, particularly nocturnal birds of prey.
The result exceeded all expectations.
But it was the city's response that truly revealed the significance of the event: from the moment Monte Mucrone was transformed into a luminous totem, hundreds of images, spontaneous shares, and visual testimonies arrived from every corner of the Biella area.
Once again, light worked its magic: it became storytelling, connection, identity, reminding everyone that when technology and vision come together, even mountains can speak.
For the "Raduno degli Alpini" project, Spacecannon provided lighting for Mount Mucrone using Xeno technology. IREOS 7000W projectors were used for the red and green colors of the flag, while Leukos 7000W projectors were used for white. The difference between the two projectors lies in the fact that the Ireos is equipped with a mechanical color changer with dichroic filters, while the Leukos is optimized for white light and cannot generate colors in any way.
Furthermore, since the Leukos is equipped with more precise optics, it allowed us to obtain a tricolor with the three colors clearly separated.
In terms of management, the Ireos were controlled together via DMX512 provided by the service company "lighting in sound," while the Leukos was turned on manually every evening.
Spacecannon provided support during the setup of the system, helping the on-site staff to connect the projectors to the power supply, install the delicate xenon lamps, and aim and focus the light beams.
