Parabolic Lightcloud

2018
Activation Lead, Lighting Design, Interaction Design, Programming, Installation
Client – amigo & amigo

The Parabolic Lightcloud, produced by amigo & amigo, is a 10m diameter suspended net of lights. It was initially commissioned by Waverly Council in 2017 and displayed under the name ‘Parabolic Lovecloud’ during their ‘Heart of Bondi’ activation which ran for ~10 months in Bondi Junction. Following this, it was exhibited in the seventh edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival in 2018 under its current name.

During the initial design and production in 2017, I was responsible for design and prototyping of the interaction and control systems, along with design and construction of the lighting system which spanned 1082 DMX fixtures in 10 universes. This extended to the production of a custom pixel mapping process including both computer and embedded software which provided for fast, intuitive animation and show construction along with a minimisation of control system complexity and size by eliminating the need for a discrete computer to be attached to the artwork. I was also responsible for the design and production of the animation set which ran both passively and in response to readings from a public heart rate sensor unit which was co-developed with Lili Bykerk. This extended into the refreshment of the piece for Amsterdam, during which I designed and co-developed the new light show inspired by a progression through a series of intense emotional states.