Remember when I went to the Winter Lights show in Canary Wharf last month? It's an annual event featuring artworks that use light (and often sound) in innovative ways, perfect for our dark winter months.
Well, while researching that show, I saw that a Winter Lights event was also planned for the redeveloped Battersea Power Station, now a massive housing complex and shopping center. I put that on my agenda too, and I've been meaning to go for weeks, but life kept intervening -- work stuff, our trip to California, Dave's surgery, et cetera.
Last Sunday was its final day, so that evening -- even though I'd already walked Olga around Hampstead Heath, and even though the weather forecast called for rain -- I decided to hop on the tube and go down and see it.
It was smaller than the Canary Wharf event, and thus easier to take in. I believe there were seven featured works, including "Butterfly Effect" (top) and "Large Diamond" (above).
I also came across a troupe of women wearing roller skates and spinning colorful lit-up hoops. They aren't listed in the program so I have no idea who they are or what their group is called, but they were fun to watch too.
Still photos don't do any of this justice. "Large Diamond," for example, has a beautiful shimmering effect that reflects on surrounding surfaces, kind of like a disco ball but more subtle. The lighting on all the artworks fluctuates and changes, and some of them include elements of sound as well. So here's a four-minute video:
Artworks depicted, in order:
1. "Singularity" by Squidsoup
2. "Butterfly Effect" by Masamichi Shimada
3. "Lightpiano 1.5" by Arion de Munck & Mark Ridder
4. "Lightbattle III" by Venividimultiplex
5. "C/C" by Angela Chong
6. Entertainers with glowing rings and skates
7. "Large Diamond" by Studio Freerk Wilbers
Watch for the moment when I'm backing away from "Singularity" (and thus having trouble holding my phone straight) and the exterior lights of the power station come on. I was lucky to catch that.
You'll notice I left ambient sound in the segment for "Lightpiano" (for obvious reasons) but put music over the rest of the video. That's because my videos were so darn noisy. I didn't want to subject you to the sound of the wind and kids yelling and passers-by nattering about whether or not to stop in to M&S to buy some beans. "Singularity" had a musical element as well but you couldn't really hear it, so hopefully this copyright-free music from iMovie is a worthy substitute!
Watch for the moment when I'm backing away from "Singularity" (and thus having trouble holding my phone straight) and the exterior lights of the power station come on. I was lucky to catch that.
You'll notice I left ambient sound in the segment for "Lightpiano" (for obvious reasons) but put music over the rest of the video. That's because my videos were so darn noisy. I didn't want to subject you to the sound of the wind and kids yelling and passers-by nattering about whether or not to stop in to M&S to buy some beans. "Singularity" had a musical element as well but you couldn't really hear it, so hopefully this copyright-free music from iMovie is a worthy substitute!
20 comments:
Thanks for the video. It does manage to bring up the magic of lights and sounds and of course the children and the few dogs in the audience add to the beauty.
Thanks for going and then sharing with us. And special thanks for the video. I thought it looked beautiful in the still photos, but the video really sells it.
Thanks for the show.
Fur Elise gets played on our piano quite often. I always enjoy listening to it and I don't have the light show to go with it.
I had to chuckle when the boy stepped out of the water. Kids do love water:)
Lovely photos and video. Thanks for sharing Steve.
You're such a good reporter!
London sure has some cool stuff going on.
Wow -- pity they can't leave some of the installations up all the time -- they add such a lot to any space they would be in. Quite stunning. Loved the video -- you do a great job with those!
stunning video! thanks you for doing that, tube and rain and just getting there at night, Bravo! It is too easy , when the sky is dark and travel across town seems like too much effort, to just stay in . That was well worth the trip, Mr London reporter! Thank you, again!
Thanks for the show. This was great to watch. I see it was raining! People undaunted out anyway. No use waiting for good weather to do anything in the UK!
those are so cool. who sponsors these shows and do the artists get paid?
Well done with the video, Steve. That was fun to see!
That was a great video and the music was perfect. I'm glad you captured it all for us.
I saw in the NY Times that there is a new art feature going up at the Leadenhall building. Some giant arches with rainbow colors.
Great video. Thanks for the showing. Light shows are wonderful. I wish the US would abandon fireworks and embrace light shows.
Lovely, thanks for showing this.
I would really enjoy going to one of these. I need to remember that the next time the opportunity comes up!
Cool stuff. The video, and the music, are really good. Thanks for sharing this.
Those are gorgeous lights and certainly brighten up the winter gloom. Your video is excellent!
Good for you getting out when it was easier to stay home.
I'm glad you saw it before it ended! I think my favorites were the first two in the video. I also really liked the music you chose for those two. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Sometimes less can be more and it sounds like this may be one such occasion. Mind, the other was very good.
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