Hymn to the Big Wheel, Liz West
Spotlight Summer Lights UK London’s Canary Wharf has this summer been transformed into a prism of light, as it welcomes a series of dynamic artworks for the launch of Summer Lights. Created by the organisers of Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights and Connected by Light festivals, held during the year’s darkest months, Summer Lights instead celebrated the power of natural light for three months from June to August. Exploding into life from sunrise, the collection of artworks, from designers such as Liz West, toyStudio, Amberlights, Tine Bech Studio and Helena Doyle, used a combination of the sun and colour spectrums to project and celebrate light in its most natural form. While creating a world of intricate patterns and reflections that are visually dazzling, the installations also shone a light on a number of important messages. From sustainability, plastic pollution, and energy consumption to LQBTQIA+ and equality; these important themes were all highlighted through the language of light. Among the line-up of vibrant works was Ocean Rise by artist Aphra Shemza. Built using sustainable materials, the shape of the piece emulated a wave in the ocean, and was accompanied by a bespoke soundscape that visitors could
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access through a QR code. Another highlight was Whirl by Helena Doyle X Tom Cherry & Temple, which transformed the wind into a dynamic dance of colour and light. Sitting beneath the domed structure the audience could enjoy the mesmerising light show overhead. The festival also featured the latest Liz West installation, Hymn to the Big Wheel. The piece, inspired by the Massive Attack song of the same name, consisted of a multicoloured octagon nestled within a larger octagonal shape, and was designed to explore the illusion and physicality of colour and natural light in an urban space. Constructed using transparent coloured sheets, the work prompted the playful movement of visitors to explore the work in context with their surroundings. Elsewhere, toyStudio created two installations. The first, Circle of Light [Spectrum], saw the colours of the spectrum mapped out in relation to the sun’s path. From dawn to dusk, the reach of the coloured shadows moved depending on the angle of the sun. The second installation, Kilpi, was based on the celestial maps, and represented the constellations found in the skies above Canary Wharf, with perforations creating ever-changing shadows.
