We review our comprehensive investigation of light self-localization phenomena in planarly configured azobenzene liquid crystals. Cis-trans isomerization of azobenzene molecules and related changes in the order parameter of the liquid crystals support a high nonlinear response and the formation of optical spatial solitons at microwatt excitations. We describe bright soliton angular steering, deflection, interleaving and merging, as well as dark solitons.