Interactivity & Installation: October 2012

Croatia's Solar Powered Interactive Light Installation

Croatian architect Nikola Bašić's LED light installation titled Saudação ao Sol, translated as Greeting to the Sun, is a remarkable piece of public art that efficiently incorporates technology. The circular floor installation consists of three hundred multilayered glass plates encasing solar cells that absorb sunlight during the day and come alive at night, putting on a spectacular light show. The animated light piece adds another layer of beauty to the scenic coastal town of Zadar, Croatia. More than just an automated light show, the installation is an interactive experience. It is designed to respond to Bašić's other sound installation called Sea Organs, also located within the area. The light effects on the surface of the 22-meter diameter disc reflects the "rhythm of the waves and the sounds of the Sea Organs" through the colorful, geometric patterns that sweep through the energy efficient panels. The solar powered installation also proves to be an advocate for clean energy, showcasing the capabilities of renewable sources of power. Greeting to the Sun stores enough power to provide a sufficient supply of electricity to light the entire waterfront for a third of the cost.

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/nikola-basic-greeting-to-the-sun

Metallic Lotus Flowers Come Alive with Human Motion

Built out of metallic flowers, this Lotus Dome by Dutch design lab Studio Roosegaarde comes alive in response to human motion. The interactive artwork was designed by artist and architect Daan Roosegaarde and is located in the Sainte Marie Madeleine Church in Lille, France. As visitors approach the structure, sensors detect movement and trigger internal lights to illuminate. The hundreds of aluminum flowers, made from several thin layers of Mylar, react to the light and unfold in a welcome greeting. The artist says the installation connects architecture, nature, and viewer together in order to "activate the beautiful but deserted Renaissance building, and make the architecture become more alive and contemporary." The light and shadow cascading along the walls of the interior add to the experience by transforming the entire room into an interactive space. The installation was a commission by arts organization Lille 3000 for Fantastic 2012. The festival features futuristic, modern, strange, and wonderful designs and art, located in public spaces across the city of Lille.