Illuminating Innovations: Our Pioneering Studies Reveal New Insights
The city of Durham is set to be illuminated once again as the dazzling light art event, Lumiere, returns this week. This bi-annual spectacle will feature three installations drawing on some of the city's ground-breaking research.
One of the highlights is the debut of the Sacral installation by Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi, making its first appearance in the UK at St Mary's College. Another noteworthy installation is Liquid Geometry, an immersive series of three-dimensional projections created by Spanish artist Javier Riera, which will transform Palace Green.
Professor Nicole Westmarland, Director of the Durham Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA), is also bringing her expertise to Lumiere 2023. She has been involved in On Blank Pages, an installation exploring the state of the UK justice system. This project collects attitudes from individuals, groups, and organisations across England and Wales who have experience with the legal system and displays them in illuminated notebooks as part of the installation.
Professor Westmarland has facilitated sessions with Durham students from sociology, criminology, social work, and law, allowing them to contribute their insights on the theme of justice to the Lumiere art event. She is renowned for her work on victim-survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.
The development of Universal Loom, an installation inspired by string theory, has been aided by astronomical data from the Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC) research. Professor Carlos Frenk, the Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics, founder and former director of the ICC, and recently elected to the Royal Society Council, has collaborated with the artists on this project.
Meanwhile, the Durham Energy Institute (DEI) has been part of the team behind the Diamond Garden installation. This installation, located in Durham Cathedral's grounds, is powered by solar energy and made using rechargeable batteries and recycled materials. The DEI, Outdoor and Sustainability Education Specialists (OASES), Artichoke (producers of Lumiere), Redhills Durham Miners Hall, and artist Mick Stephenson worked together to engage 120 local school students around the themes of renewables and sustainability for the Diamond Garden installation.
After Lumiere concludes, anonymised information captured for the On Blank Pages installation will be made available to Durham University (with participant consent). This partnership underscores the university's commitment to engaging with the community and supporting the arts.
While the direct connections between Durham University’s research and the installations at Lumiere 2023 are not explicitly detailed, it is clear that the university plays a significant role as a host city and community partner for this prestigious event. The city of Durham, with its rich history and cutting-edge research, promises to offer a unique and enlightening experience for visitors during Lumiere 2023.
- The installation named 'Universal Loom' draws inspiration from string theory, with astronomical data provided by Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC).
- The Department of Finance at Durham University might find interest in the 'Diamond Garden' installation, as it's powered by solar energy, made with recycled materials, and teaches children about sustainability.
- As artificial intelligence infiltrates various industries, perhaps future light art events, such as Lumiere, could be influenced by advancements in technology, like the immersive 'Liquid Geometry' projection created by Javier Riera.
