Claypaky participates in the Light Ballet light and sound show

Irish artist Mick Murray and designer Matthew Cregan have presented the moving light installation Light Ballet, which was held on the River Shannon, with lighting fixtures Claypacks Sharpy Plus Aqua.

Made between 13 and the 20 June, the moving light and sound show Light Ballet transformed the skies and surrounding landscapes of eight Irish counties. A show that has taken place as part of Brightening Air/Rooster Footsteps, a national festival marking the ten-day national season of arts experiences offered by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Thanks to the lighting technology provided by the equipment Claypaky Sharpy Plus Aqua, brand that distributes Stonex, he Light Ballet traveled almost 200 kilometers and faced the challenges posed by the River Shannon, making it visible from up to seven kilometers.

Created by Irish light artist Mick Murray and lighting designer Matthew Cregan of Light Sculptors, the installation was accompanied by a soundscape composed by David Kitt.

Lighting installation and soundscape were synchronized in real time, which allowed the public to experience it at home, in the lands of the periphery or in the intermediate places through their phones, tablets or computers.

The public could access the soundscape through the website of Culture Works and Brightening Air and the artwork ran on a seven-minute cycle for four hours each night from dusk and the full cycle of the show could be viewed at any point along the route.

“In the design process we had to make the light installation work and be visible from all points of view. Once we take the luminaires to the boat, the slightly humid air from the lakes and rivers turned the beams of light into beautiful columns. We were surprised that the light beams could be seen from all directions, even if they were leaning the other way. That made us change things in programming and design to encompass more of the total on-air presence.”, comments Mick.

Claypaky Sharpy Plus Aqua is a weather resistant moving head (IP66 rating), perfect for outdoor events, tours, permanent installations and cruises. For this project, The luminaires were supplied by the British rental company Neg Earth.

As part of the design process, Mick and Matthew engaged with the schools and gave them a worksheet so they could help create the looks.. They included these in the programming and final design and also gave them a color palette to work with that they knew would be strong in any light.. “We have been very surprised by the rich colors of the lights and the beautiful pastels”, rcplicaMick. “Even with color, The beams were still visible from many kilometers away while the Light Ballet sailed down the river at night”.

Mick was really satisfied with the reliability of the luminaires. “We traveled with the piece as a crew on the ship for eight days. We had a fairly tight schedule to perform operational tasks related to the navigation of the ship in the dark on the river, as well as live streaming and feeding content to the base. Devices are sturdy with an aluminum body and head, no flimsy plastic parts. They are real workhorses for rental companies, as they can be outdoors at a concert and then integrated into an indoor team when necessary”.