Alley of Light
‘Alley of Light’ by Serge Schoemaker Architects & DigiLuce is a twelve-metre-long “alley” defined by light. It is a passage that is surrounded by three-dimensional matrix of 2000 handmade LED bulbs.
After its premiere at the third edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival in 2014, the light installation has been on show in Norrköping (Sweden, 2015), Shenzhen (China, 2016), Riga (Latvia, 2017) and Lugano (Switzerland, 2019) at the renown Lugano Arte e Cultura (LAC).
The four-metre-high light installation consists of 320 vertical strings with six lights each, hanging in a black steel cage construction. The footprint of the installation measures 10 by 12 metres. The atmosphere and sense of space within the passage change continuously thanks to its programmed variation of light configurations. The lights continuously change intensity. The wave-like motion of light within the installation generates a unique spatial experience: when all lights are lit, the passage appears enclosed and intimate; as soon as the lights dim, the space becomes fluid and the borders of the alley start to fade.
Alongside the internal experience, the installation is perceived externally as an eye-catching three-dimensional animation. The motion of light within the strong geometric shape of the matrix can be seen from afar and invites people to experience the installation from within. The algorithm that controls the individual lights and generates the wave-like motion through the grid, is inspired by and derived from the physics of underwater lighting effects.
The individual lights are designed as abstract vertical lines. Each handmade light consists of two LEDs enclosed by an acrylic tube. The tubes are covered with white paper and sealed with heat shrink tubes. Next to the nearly 2000 lights, the installation consists of one-and-a-half kilometres of cabling. The experience of the installation is supported on site by music from Machinefabriek/ Rutger Zuydervelt.
Exhibitions:
Amsterdam Light Festival, Netherlands (2014);
Norrköping Light Festival, Sweden (2015);
Sea World International Light Festival, Shenzhen, China (2016);
Staro Riga, Latvia (2017);
Lugano Arte e Cultura, Switzerland (2019).
Design team: Serge Schoemaker, Beatrice Nespega
Production team (2014): a.o. Alexander Beeloo, Gonçalo Moreira, Roxana Vakil Mozafari
Production team (2019): a.o. Miksa Albert, Lennart Barnhard, Maiara Camilotti. Farimah Chaman Zadeh, Fatemeh Mahmoudyar, César Salas
In collaboration with: DigiLuce (engineering)
Electronics: MHElektro
Sponsored by: HellermannTyton
Thanks to: Aukes Theatertechniek
Photography: Raoul Kramer, LAC Lugano
Documentary Video: 5GradenOost
