Friday 14 February 2014

e-Luminate - Cambridge In A Different Light



As I wandered past my local music shop I noticed this odd display in the window. It changes colour subtly but I didn't notice that at the time. A little investigation revealed that it's called "The Wicked Wavy Wall" by Pulsar and is part of the e-Luminate Festival which is taking place in Cambridge till February 23rd. 



"Where Art meets Technology" says the programme, so I thought I'd hang around in town till darkness fell. By 5:15 pm the lights had started to take effect on the Wilkins' Screen of King's College. This installation is known as Colour Shift and is by Suzi Olczak



The colours change in response to what's happening in the street. I went off to see other installations and this odd clock caught my eye....



....the lights flash on and off in seemingly random fashion, then for brief moments display the time - 17:33 in this case - it's called Kairos ( by Colin Dewar) which is "the moment of indeterminable time in which everything seems to happen", otherwise known as "now", I suppose. Some of the other works were rather disappointing; ruined by the power of the street-lighting or lights left on in the buildings onto which images were being projected. I wandered back to Kings.


Darkness was working its magic and King's Parade itself was looking rather wonderful despite not having any extra illumination, or even e-Lumination.


Down by The University Bookshop there was a marvellous projection taking place on the Senate House wall...


...the moving image (Planet Of Light by Ross Ashton) consists of a turning globe being constantly re-made by artwork drawn by local schoolchildren. You really need a video to get some idea of the effect and luckily for you I took a short clip which appears at the end of this post. It's turned out rather contrasty, I'm afraid, but you'll get the general idea.

Meanwhile back to King's College....




I hope they'll get the wrinkles ironed out on some of the less successful works over the next few days. In the meantime here's the short (just over one minute) video I promised.

                                   

Take care.

18 comments:

  1. Very interesting, That was something new - at least to me. You must have had much fun going around with the camera and wondering what comes next. The video gave a fine impression of what went on.

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  2. King's Parade is looking magnificent even without special illumination, but what a fantastic thing to see...and fantastic captures too! Those old structures are well shown-off in newish light...

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  3. Wow...much better than Christmas lighting!

    Great captures John!

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  4. This is wonderful. It would be equally so to see in person. The video showed the display not how I was expecting. Looks like a black hole drawing in all the art.

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  5. very nice images John, it really takes on such a new look at night with colour added doesn't it? I saw similar in Sydney last years Vivid Sydney illuminations. I guess these events are occurring about the world nowadays with modern technologies

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  6. Technology is enabling some wonderful advances in lighting and art. Nice!

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  7. Interesting. The splashes of nighttime color are nice.
    Some years ago we were in Amien, and they had rigged lights to project color onto the cathedral at night to show the way it looked when painted as it originally was. Quite beautiful.

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  8. Hallo John, just wanted to say I have just discovered your blog after a spot of blog-hopping and really am enjoying it. You write beautifully (very tongue in cheek if you don't mind my saying) and seem to capture the atmosphere/character of whatever you talk about. Makes me nostalgic for England! Anyway, am happily sitting here enjoying your blog while it is peeing down outside (the first for sometime) here in France. Keep up the good work. Anna

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  9. Amazing what they can do with colored lights. Great shots John!

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  10. It is an effort for me to keep up with technology. Maybe I have reasons? -- barbara

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  11. Wow! Such fantastic images. The video is grand. I love the perspective, particularly the people walking by while the show is projected. I've never seen a street of light like that. It's quite beautiful.

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  12. What a magical world of lighting! My favorite images are the second, the third, and the sixth. We have a similar technological light show in Osaka called “Hikari (light)-Renaissance”. In addition to street illumination, the main attraction is the projection mapping light show on the wall of a library, the same type you kindly showed us on the video.

    Yoko

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  13. What a great way to focus on the buildings once more. I love the old street lamp against the illuminated walls and windows. Some bright lights are welcome at this time of year!

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  14. a clever way to cheer up long winter nights--

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  15. It looks like a wonderful project and a great way of making people see these beautiful buildings in a new light (pardon the pun). I love the photo with the bikes and old street light.

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  16. E-lumination - what a splendid idea, and you have such beautiful architecture to light up the night.

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  17. Spectacular. It's not often I say, "I wish I'd seen that". But I wish I'd seen that.

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