Ladbury PR

A sea of lights makes its UK premiere

Fri 13 Sept - Sat 12 Oct, The Eye, Bristol Temple Quarter, Bristol

This September sees the UK premiere of Submergence, an uplifting new artwork near Temple Meads Station in Bristol. Visitors to the large-scale light installation, which will be free to explore, can immerse themselves in a continuously shifting ocean of thousands of differently coloured lights, created through a combination of digital pixels, light lanterns and the physical movement of the visitors themselves.

Created by award-winning digital artists Squidsoup, Submergence was researched and designed in the UK and Norway. With two acclaimed international showings at the Geneva Mapping Festival and a solo show in Oslo, the remarkable creation makes its first and only appearance in the UK before it continues its tour in St Petersburg.

Anthony Rowe, Creative Lead at Squidsoup explains about the artwork:

“Submergence is the latest work to emerge from Ocean of Light, a research project looking into the immersive possibilities of visual systems that occupy physical 3D space. Over 8000 individually addressable points of light are suspended in a space that people can walk within, to create an experience that is abstract yet immersive, and also responsive - the lights, and therefore the space, respond to your presence. It’s wonderful to have the UK premiere right here in Bristol, as we are resident in the Pervasive Media Studio and have been working with Watershed for over 10 years.”

Clare Reddington, Director of Pervasive Media Studios at Watershed adds:

"I am thrilled that Bristol will be the first place in the UK to show this stunning piece of work by Squidsoup, a brilliant group of artists that Watershed first worked with in 2002. The project combines cutting-edge technology with imagination and creativity, so is a perfect fit for our Bristol Temple Quarter commissions – designed to bring people into the city’s new Enterprise Zone and celebrate the rich cultural life of our city."

The breathtaking installation is designed to be explored from inside a large black cube (8 metres x 4 metres), where visitors can move freely, experiencing the effect of their physical presence on the lights and sounds around them. The installation is divided into four five-minute sections taking 20 minutes to unfold, and the lights gradually increase in intensity building to a final climax.

It is free and open to the public from Fri 13 Sept until Sat 12 Oct six days per week (apart from Mondays) in Bristol.

Check it out at watershed.co.uk/submergence