GLASTONBURYGreenpeace made its mark on Worthy Farm this year by installing BEAM
- a brand new permanent sculpture, to create a stunning multisensor y
experience, highlighting the power and importance of pollinating insects
to our ecosystem.
Inspired and indeed controlled by the activity of real bees – a colony
of Cornish Black Bees in Michael Eavis’ own beehive, to be precise – BEAM
was an interactive, multisensor y and experiential sculpture that, with the
help of TiMax and visual specialists RES London, enveloped visitors in
immersive soundscapes and 360° projection and lighting.
Movement-sensing accelerometers, installed within the Glastonbury
farm beehives, streamed live vibration data – sounds and vibrations from
the bees’ activity – into the BEAM sculpture, to control the musical key and
tempo of the soundscape experienced by visitors, refreshing in real time.
Live bee broadcasts, multichannel recordings and a mix of multitrack
music stems, by artists from Sigur Ros, Spiritualised and Coldcut were also
interwoven and propelled through the space by TiMax SoundHub.
Partnering with specialist collaborators in science, light, film, sound
and projection mapping, NEC Display Solutions provided laser projection
technology in the creation of BEAM.
Projection mapping across the centre of the sculpture was designed
and controlled by RES on two Avolites Ai R6 Ser vers supplying 12 projectors
with 6k content, fully immersing the audience into the world of a honey
bee. Squint Opera was the Creative Content Director, with the Hoarlea
taking care of the sound design.
“I am delighted with the NEC laser projectors that are being used in
BEAM,” explained BEAM creator Wolfgang Buttress. “They have been
essential in creating a multisensor y experience, which highlights the
existential challenges facing the honey bee. I wanted to use the best
technology available to create a sense of magic and wonder. The projectors
have helped make this happen.”
At night, the space was filled with 360° projections from 12 NEC
PX1004UL laser projectors, animating the walls of the clearing with footage
from bee hives with high-definition film, MRI and thermal imager y.
“Our laser projectors provide the robust performance needed for
powerful deliver y of this breathtaking showpiece,” said Graham Kirkpatrick,
technical solutions architect, NEC Display Solutions.
Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures also had a transformative effect
on the festival’s Greenpeace Field, where the Bailes + Light team relied
on the IP65-rated Maverick Storm 1 Wash to create an eco-friendly forest
of light. Adding to the wonderous outdoor panorama were COLORado
Solo Batten, ÉPIX Strip IP, COLORado Panel Q40, STRIKE 1 and STRIKE
P38 fixtures, along with F4IP video panels and a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500
programmed by David Howard.
TPi
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