Proposed at Amsterdam Lighting Festival, 2018

Media is connection. The world is connected because media transport information from point to point, enabling the unknown to known. Media can be modified, translated or reinterpreted, and consequently the substantial information it carries became alternated. Light is one kind of media, it connects darkness with brightness, it transports light to the invisible area, transform unknown to known. Light can be reflected, or distorted with refraction. Similarly, If two spaces are connected because there is an entrance. We found similarities among Media, Light and the Entrance. Our installation intends to interprete the embedded code lies behind the three.

“Modern media have caused a confusing blur between true and untrue, real and fake, real life and virtual. The messages they convey often contain a biased perspective, and can even mislead you.” Responding this observation , we pull out questions: In between reality and illusion, is their a threshold? If reality in unknown and ambiguous, can we as people use light to illuminate reality and reveal reality? Might the portal itself be a misleading media, guiding us to the void?

The visitor experirnce

We want to create an installation that uses light as the substantial material to create a three dimensional space - a mysterious vortex in the river, which seems like a portal to a new dimension. Visitors will be astonished by the swirling visual effect of the vortex, which is activated and animated by programmed LED stripes. Both visitors on land and visitors taking boat tour are invited to further interact with the vortex:
Land experience:
Visitors are invited to be sitting on a bench which is integrated with a sensor and a programmed interactive chip. The vortex captures the seating movement and accelerate its movement, becoming brighter and brighter.
Cruise experience:
The boat passes in front of the installation, activating acceleration of the vortex. Questions about the perception of space, the relationship between reality and illusion will hence arise.

Credits

Artistic Director: Massimiliano Zanoni and Jean Paul Carradori
Interaction Designer: Massimiiano Zanoni
Light Designer: Jean Paul Carradori
in collaboration with TA DESIGN STUDIO / Jin Tian & Chang Chung Yen