The World
Heritage Centre, UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, was bathed in light from SGM
for the two nights of the opening ceremony of the International Year of Light.
Finnish
lighting artist and designer Kari Kola prepared a full concept design including
light, video and music for a spectacular display at the iconic Fontenoy
building during the ceremony. This launched an initiative intended to raise
global awareness about the importance of light for the future and for the
development of society. 1500 people attended this ceremony including leading
diplomats, scientific societies and technology platforms from around the world
for a number of lectures.
For Kola’s
installation, titled Light Is Here, no fewer than 130 SGM P-5 wash lights and
14 G-Spot moving heads were deployed together with another 70 LED based
fixtures and 12 video projectors. “I wanted to reflect the most powerful
elements of natural light, Aurora Borealis (Northern light) and sunrise,
bringing in the North and the nature to the opening ceremony,” Kola explains.
The
360-degree installation thus swathed the building in blues and greens
contrasting the warm colours of the sunrise and accompanied by music composed
by the designer himself. The project itself presented a comprehensive challenge,
in which Kola was faced with a tight timetable as well a monumental building.
In his
abstract light creation, the P-5 LED wash light took the leading role, spiced
up with elements from the G-Spot moving head. “The purpose was to break the
surface with gobo animation and video content,” he says, adding how impressed
he was with the impact created by the SGM luminaires. “Everything had to be
IP65 rated, and I needed lots of power and a good saturation of colours, so
these units were perfect for the job.”
The
smoothness of colours and dimming, together with the powerful output of the SGM
fixtures, won Kola over in his selection of the lighting equipment; having
completed the project he is left with a beautiful piece of work that has
received nothing but positive comments.
This could
just be the beginning of Kola’s relationship with SGM. “I aim to work with the
best units there are, so I expect to be using SGM products again,” he reveals.
“There may be some really nice projects coming up in the near future.”
