events
Nuit Blanche 2010 Live: A Sneak Peek at Lower Bay’s Interactive Landscape Dune 6:00 PM
WHAT: INTERACTIVE LANDSCAPE DUNE
WHERE: LOWER BAY STATION (ZONE A)
WHEN: FRIDAY NIGHT, DURING A SPECIAL MEDIA PREVIEW
BY: CARLY MAGA (TEXT) & MILES STOREY (PHOTOS & VIDEO)
The dark, unused tunnels of Lower Bay Station could be a Nuit Blanche exhibit themselves, with such a familiar space devoid of its usual hustle and bustle and its trains immobile and silent. It creates a great atmosphere for Interactive Landscape Dune, a new media installation by Dutch artist Daan Roosegarde located in Zone A.
Along one side of the platform stretches a length of what looks like a cross between a garden hedge and a Lite Brite, which reacts in light and sound to its surroundings through movement and audio sensors. Walk by, and the lights glow dimly, stomp and they may begin to chirp, run your hand through the stalks and see them twinkle. Each reaction is supposed to reflect the personality of each individual trigger, creating a blend of technology, nature, and identity. Which would be an interesting concept, but does that mean that the rumblings of the trains overhead have sparkling personalities too?
Dune has been seen in exhibits around the world, and only a small piece of it has come to Toronto so it doesn’t exactly create the full-blown ocean soundscape or “Alice in Technoland” effect it’s known for. The first reaction actually prompts one question: “Is that it?” (which can happen a few times in a Nuit Blanche evening). But after the first few paces back and forth, Dune’s charm still comes through. Besides creating an interesting mix of light, sound, and moods in the station, it also indulges in our inner fantasy that the world is literally lighting up for us as we walk past (or is that just me?).
It was easy to soak in the supernatural atmosphere with the station nearly empty, slowly strolling back and forth, and seeing the lights slowly dim as we walked away. But as the evening progresses and the station inevitably becomes packed with Nuit Blanche–rs, the feeling will be undoubtedly be different⎯it could either just be a constant bright light, or the reactions could intermingle in a more complex way. In either case, don’t forget your hand sanitizer⎯flu season is upon us, after all.