Occurrence of Light, 707 Fifth – Manulife Place, Calgary, Canada
Inspired by the phenomena of the aurora borealis, colored lights shimmering across the night sky, Occurrence of Light mimics the cosmic event. At once a static sculpture and a dynamic composition, the piece is enlivened with compressed rhythms of fluid imagery.
The video imagery — computer manipulated light refractions — is connected to live streaming data of the region’s geomagnetic activity, which influences the speed and color palette of the video.
The data is provided by the Aurorawatch service and the CARISMA magnetometer network, both of which are operated by the Space Physics group at the University of Alberta. CARISMA is part of the
“Geospace Observatory” program funded by the Canadian Space Agency.
707 Fifth – Manulife Place is designed by SOM. Occurrence of Light is Luftwerk’s first permanently integrated light sculpture.
- Architectural Assistance
- Linda Just and Jeremy Olsen
- Technology and Fabrication
- SACO Technologies
- Video Documentation
- Most Visual
- Video Soundtrack
- Jonathan Kawchuk
- Commission
- Manulife
Occurrence of Light, 2018
Mirror polished stainless steel shroud, V-stick, 3m x 85m