Spectra (installation): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Spectra above chimney tops.png|thumb|upright|The beam can be seen for miles above the rooftops and chimneys of London.]] |
[[File:Spectra above chimney tops.png|thumb|upright|The beam can be seen for miles above the rooftops and chimneys of London.]] |
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'''''spectra''''' is a |
'''''spectra''''' is a [[installation art|installation]] by the artist [[Ryoji Ikeda]] which consists of 49 powerful beams of light shining together into the sky, accompanied by a [[soundscape]]. It is the latest in a series of compositions in light and sound which the artist has conceived with the ''spectra'' label, such as ''data.spectra'' and ''spectra ii''. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Revision as of 10:25, 10 August 2014
51°29′49.0″N 0°7′30.0″W / 51.496944°N 0.125000°W
spectra is a installation by the artist Ryoji Ikeda which consists of 49 powerful beams of light shining together into the sky, accompanied by a soundscape. It is the latest in a series of compositions in light and sound which the artist has conceived with the spectra label, such as data.spectra and spectra ii.
Background
Spectra was commissioned by Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the 14–18 NOW programme of the Imperial War Museum for the centenary of World War One.[1] It was switched on at the end of the Lights Out event on 4 August 2014, when the lights of many buildings in the UK were turned off in recollection of Sir Edward Grey's famous prophecy that, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."[2] The installation's lamps will be turned off for good at dawn on 11 August 2014, as the installation is only planned to last a week.[1]
History
Ryoji Ikeda has produced similar installations elsewhere but in different configurations. The first was a tunnel of light at JFK Airport in New York in 2004.[3] 25 outdoor beams were arrayed around Amsterdam in 2008 for the city's Dream Amsterdam event.[3] A more concentrated 64-beam installation was then created in Paris that year for their annual Nuit Blanche festival.[3] Other cities which have hosted the installation include Buenos Aires, Hobart,[4] and Nagoya.[3]
The spotlights are xenon arc lamps requiring 4 kilowatts of power each.[5] The array and the sound system are powered by four diesel generators fuelled by vegetable oil.[5] A crew of thirty technicians assemble, test and maintain the installation.[5] The soundscape is inspired by mathematical concepts and consists of pure sine waves.[6]
Gallery
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Spectra pierces the Hobart Skyline, 22 June 2013 -
Crowds are drawn to the nightly spectacle in London -
Spectators can get in amongst the lights -
The base of the London installation is in Victoria Tower Gardens
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See also
- Cathedral of light, a 1937 Nazi propaganda display with massed searchlights pointing skyward
- Luxor Hotel and Casino skybeam, currently the world's brightest searchlight display
- A Symphony of Lights, a light display across Hong Kong harbour
- Tribute in Light, a memorial of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre
References
- ^ a b Richard Dorment (5 August 2014), "ArtAngel spectra: London's centenary beam of light", Daily Telegraph
- ^ WW1 centenary: Column of light illuminates London commemoration, BBC News, 5 August 2014
- ^ a b c d Ryoji Ikeda (2010), spectra
- ^ "Artists cover Hobart in white light for the opening of Dark Mofo - News - ABC Arts | Australian contemporary art and culture reviews, news & videos". Abc.net.au. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Sean O'Hagan (5 August 2014), "Spectra: the dazzling column of light over London", The Guardian
- ^ "Spectra Ryoji Ikeda", Lights Out, 14-18-NOW, 2014
External links
- Artangel – the collective which produced the project