AV Projects

COSMOS / Celestial Frequencies

Published

7 years ago

December 13, 2017

Celestial Frequencies is a ground-breaking new data driven audio-visual work created for Jodrell Bank’s iconic Lovell Telescope. Developed by award winning Tokyo-based Media Artist, DJ and Programmer, Daito Manabe and Setsuya Kurotaki (Rhizomatiks Research), it was the first work to be developed as part of COSMOS, premiering at Bluedot festival 2017.

The epic structure of the Lovell Telescope – now in its 60th year of operation – presented a unique and unparalleled canvas for the artists to create this new work. During the festival the dish was in the zenith position, pointing directly upwards into space, receiving radio signals as the Earth turned and the sky drifted past overhead.

A mixture of deep space data collected on-site in real-time, and previously gathered from telescopes further afield – including Planck spacecraft observations of the microwave radio sky – was transformed into Celestial Frequencies, a unique generative audio-visual artwork projected onto the telescope.

Through this visual representation and soundscape, the work offered a rare opportunity to explore the knowledge gathered about deep space at Jodrell Bank Observatory. The artists collaborated with scientists and astrophysics researchers to understand and access the data collected on site.

Between 11pm until 2am on Friday and Saturday, and until 1am on Sunday, festival goers were able to experience Celestial Frequencies from a prime viewing position, immersing themselves in the soundscape – a sonic interpretation of astrophysical data. During these times they also had the opportunity to control the telescope’s observation frequencies, altering the data being observed, and witness live how these manipulations produced a dramatic change in the data visualisation on the dish.

Track our journey #COSMOS17

Celestial Frequencies was created following COSMOS 2017, the international artists commission and residency for Lovell Telescope, Jodrell Bank Observatory.

CREDIT

Direction, Sound + Visual Programming: Daito Manabe(Rhizomatiks Research)
Sound Design: Setsuya Kurotaki(Rhizomatiks Research)
Visual Programming: Satoshi Horii(Rhizomatiks Research), You Tanaka(Rhizomatiks Research)
Interaction Unit Design: Takahito Hosono(Rhizomatiks Architecture)
Visual Animation Management: Takao Inoue (Rhizomatiks Research)
Production Management: Nozomi Yamaguchi (Rhizomatiks Research), Ayumi Ota (Rhizomatiks Research), Rina Watanabe (Rhizomatiks Research)
Special Thanks: quino grafix Co. Ltd.
Production: Rhizomatiks Co. Ltd.

COSMOS is a flagship international artists commission and residency for Lovell Telescope. Produced by Abandon Normal Devices, commissioned by Jodrell Bank Observatory, bluedot, SHIFT and Abandon Normal Devices. Supported by the University of Manchester, Rhizomatiks Research, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, and with public funds from Arts Council England. LiDAR* scans of the Lovell Telescope used in the production of COSMOS are provided by Arup.

Lead image: Celestial Frequencies at bluedot 2017 / Credit: Scott Salt Photography

Via AND festival

AV Projects

The Sharjah Light Festival is back with 11 nights of colourful displays

Published

3 years ago

January 31, 2022

FrontFX Magazine

The festival kicks off next month

There’s a dazzling projection art event coming to Sharjah.

Sharjah Light Festival is returning for 2022 with 11 nights of colourful projections and music. If this year is anything like previous festivals, our eyes are in for a treat.

The colourful festival is the first and only of its kind in the region and has been running for over ten years. It attracts thousands of visitors to up to 20 locations in Sharjah each year. The designs are inspired by local culture, stories and traditions.

The 2022 Sharjah Light Festival goes from February 9 to February 20 and is organized by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

The festival brings a kaleidoscope of creative lights and colour to Sharjah’s architecture. Diverse locations are featured during the annual show, with light and sound spectacles that transform them. (Have your camera ready.) The festival uses energy-saving lighting technology and all the lights and projectors used have passed certification for environmental compliance.

The Sharjah Light Festival also showcases the emirate’s rich heritage and historical monuments. Local and international artists, musicians and light technicians collaborate to showcase the emirate’s achievements.

Source