This 25,000 sq. ft. programmed light installation suggests a mysterious underwater world filled with luminescent creatures.
Some Thing in the Water
2018
Waterproof LED lights, electrical wire, computer, LED light drivers, audio PA system
Location: Baltimore, MD
Blurring the boundaries of imagination and reality
Where much light art is designed to dazzle, we took a more subtle approach. The harbor’s brackish water diffuses the hidden LEDs, making the entire body of water our canvas. Organic light programming paired with a rumbling, ambient soundtrack brings the harbor to life and creates a truly surreal, otherworldly experience.
The six scenes explore motions and moods that range from spooky to frenetic to meditative within the 15-minute cycle.
Connecting viewers with the natural environment
While the harbor isn’t yet swimmable, activating the water allowed audiences to imagine a future where luminescent creatures really do swim through the city.
Many of Light City’s 470,000 attendees watched our piece from the bridge and adjacent piers.
Building an experience that’s immersive in all senses of the word
Over five miles of low voltage wiring strung across the channel support an flexible lighting grid, connected to our control station.
Discrete cabling and audio infrastructure recede in the dusk, creating a more seamless and magical viewing experience. Our portable command center is wired with pixel-mapped LED controllers, running Figure 53’s QLab to play the light animations and audio.
Constructing the project took dozens of volunteers and hundreds of hours. This herculean effort had our team stripping wires, zip-tying football-field-long coils, waterproofing LEDs, assembling thousands of parts, and mastering new software. It was truly a learning experience, but the result and an overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience speak for themselves
Some Thing in the Water provides iPhone-friendly moments for the casual viewer but rewards those who devote greater time and attention to the piece.
Project team: Bruce Willen, Kuo Pao Lian, Pavlina Ilieva, Nolen Strals, Christian Mortlock, Kacie Moon, Jessica Smith
Collaborators: PI.KL Studio, Post Typography, Figure 53
Commissioning Festival: Light City Baltimore