HBL Analysis: Interactive light displays

Wednesday 19 January 2011

A still from Whistling Sea by Jun Ga Young (2009)


At architectural lighting fair the Arc Show in London last week, two light installations on show as a preview for Kinetica Art Fair were proving very popular amongst visitors. Both use light, movement and audio with the intention of immersing the viewer in a sensory experience which they feel rather than understand. A new online app also harnesses the power of moving light and colour, with similar intent.



Jun Ga Young's Whistling Sea (above) uses Korean papers, LEDs and audio to create a rippling expanse of colours, which alter in hue throughout the installation in reference to changing seasons and weather conditions. The artist defines her work as "visible music and audible colour".


The Particle by Alex Posada (2010)

The Particle by Alex Posada uses "continuous rotation, speed and light [to] create visual effects that define the spatial structure of the object". Effectively a sculpture created by light, its movements are partly influenced by the reactions of viewers.

Weavesilk wallpaper by Anand Sharma

Weavesilk is an online application created by computer programmer Yuri Vishnevsky as "an experiment in generative art". The user drags a linear pattern using their cursor, which then moves across the screen in a vivid wave of colour.

Our macrotrend for S/S 2011, Sensory, explains the current mood: "Our yearning for sensory experience is on the up. Partly as a reaction to an overwhelming digital world and partly because many of us have been economically forced to find entertainment and stimuli in ourselves... Give consumers new mental and physical experiences. Immerse them in emotional technology."

For more guidance on consumer directions this season and beyond, subscribers can view all our macrotrends.