C’est à l’occasion du Festival de Londres 2012 que le projet « Connecting Light » fait tomber les frontières et transforme le mur d’Hadrien en véritable lien de communication.
Du 31 août au 1er septembre 2012, l’installation numérique et interactive Connecting Light, conçue par l’artiste Zachary Lieberman et son collectif new-yorkais YesYesNo, illuminera les 117 km du mur d’Hadrien. Cette installation se compose de 400 ballons alignés le long du mur et de diodes de couleur. Grâce à un système électronique développé par Digi International et connecté à un réseau de communication, ils afficheront sous forme d’impulsions lumineuses les messages envoyés par les spectateurs directement via leur téléphone mobile ou à l’avance via le site www.connectinglight.info. A l’inverse, lorsque les ballons s’illumineront, les spectateurs pourront lire les messages sur leur téléphone. Les internautes du monde entier pourront participer et voir les messages traverser les 117 km du mur en direct sur Internet.
Connecting Light
On 31 August and 1 September, the London 2012 Festival digital art installation Connecting Light will send pulses of light along the 73 miles of Hadrian’s Wall from Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway on the west Cumbrian coast.
Connecting Light is created by New York based digital arts collective YesYesNo with Zachary Lieberman. YesYesNo specialises in the creation of engaging, magical installations that combine creativity, artistic vision and cutting edge technology.
Connecting Light is designed to be viewed remotely across the world via the internet so that people everywhere will be able to interact with the installation and watch the messages appear in the balloons via a live stream.
Zachary Lieberman said, “We are inviting audiences to submit messages to directly control the installation. The idea re-imagines the border not as something that divides but as something that connects. Our system is set up to communicate messages, to turn messages into light. Any messages you write on the Connecting Light website will be transmitted along the wall for everyone to see.”
Messages can be sent by following the prompts from www.connectinglight.info, where viewers can also see messages already submitted following community workshops exploring the concepts of borders and frontiers.
The installation promises to be one of the most spectacular projects of the London 2012 Festival, the 12-week UK-wide celebration running from 21 June until 9 September 2012, bringing the best of British artists working alongside a host of international artists together.
The public can interact with Connecting Light along the Wall itself at a series of specially selected interactivity points. These locations have the highest density of balloons communicating with each other. Installation ‘connectors’ will also be on hand at these sites to help visitors make the most of the experience and there will be easier access, free parking and other facilities, including food and drink. Find out where these are at www.hadrians-wall.org or www.connectinglight.info.
For those wishing to see Connecting Light independently, a recommended driving route will take visitors across the most dramatic sections of Hadrian’s Wall past a long continual line of balloons. Simply follow the Visitor Management Signs. These routes will also direct viewers to the interactivity points.
All the viewing locations will be free and non-ticketed. The best time to see Connecting Light will be in the evening as dusk falls any time in between 8pm to 11pm.
