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STARvation is a series of interactive light installations in public spaces, aiming to raise awareness about light pollution, connecting us with our origins. For you all who are STARving 2
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Pictures taken in Edinburgh showing light pollution (From Calton Hill, Arthur´s seat, Blackford and within the city)
Picture taken from the National Monument at the top of the Calton Hill, where ‘orange glow’ from Edinburgh can be seen.
INTRODUCTION - LIGHT POLLUTION The first question that may come to mind when you see this project is why light pollution? Are there not worse problems in this world? Let´s start from the beginning. The trigger for this project occurred during the summer of 2012, when I was trying to see Perseids (shooting stars), we had to move miles away to the countryside, far away from even small villages. After that event, marvelled by the beauty of the dark sky, I started my research. It has been proven that excessive light at night is harmful for the environment, changing cycles of animals and plants. It is a waste of energy, resources and therefore money, contaminating more than what is necessary. It creates a false sensation of security - no more light means more security -. But also, on people, it creates fatigue and more recently, it has been discovered that accelerates some kinds of cancer.
Forbidding us from the beauty of the sky at night, we are no longer connected with our origins. Since the formula for life originated outside of this world and people have been wondering their place in the universe, it is more than obvious that our roots are out there. If we also look back, we will find that our ascendants used the stars for several purposes - as a compass or a calendar - and were inspired by them, giving birth to several subjects such as Science, Cosmology, Mythology, Culture or Philosophy. So, light pollution is also a censor, ripping off part of our history. STARvation focuses its attention on all the aspects mentioned above. It asks us to reconsider our relationship and place in the universe...
But that is not all... 4
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Model of Edinburgh, next to the Royal Gallery, used to announce the light installations, placing a light on the spot where they were going to happen. Attached was a link with info about the event, using a relevant element regarding the installation that was being announced
STARvation constellation, ‘made’ by the places of every light installation.
STARvation tries to connect us again with our roots, approaching the stars symbolically and paradoxically using artificial lights, lighting up what the civilised world has blinded us from. For that, a series of light Installations happened in spaces and places around the city of Edinburgh. These regarded the different themes that can be seen above, all of which, in one way or another, have their origin in the stars. Why these themes and not others? There are many other themes that could have been chosen, arguably it doesn´t really matter, the important thing was to chose a few, to create beautiful, fun, interactive and collaborative installations, - characteristics that were found to be key to raising awareness about this issue, during the research for my dissertation ‘Inter-Multi-Trans-Designers-Artists, Raising Awareness: Can they change the world?’. By following STARvation’s constellation, participants engaged with selected themes that told a story, starting with ‘Science’ and finishing on ‘Philosophy’. In ‘Science’ we wonder about the origin of the universe, through ‘Cosmology’ we learn about the use of the stars by men, next we
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create Myths and legends, represented by the constellations - ‘Mythology’ . Primitive cultures were established around the sun and the stars, and these continue to have presence in our ‘Culture’. Finally in ‘Philosophy’ we wonder about our place in the universe, Who are we? Where are we going? Where do we come from? Answers that only ‘Science’ could give...The truth is that there is not end, like a circle - or infinite, shape of STARvation constellation -, STARvation could be done again and again. For engaging people, social media was key, using the model of Edinburgh next to the Royal Gallery in Princes st. A couple of days before of every installation, a light was left on the chosen spot for the installation, with a link to the web of STARvation, where it was specified details about the installation as well as when, and where it was going to happen. Then pictures and videos of the model were shown on Facebook to reach more people and become viral. For encouraging participation and as a reward, only people who participated were provided with a link and password to access the ‘collaborative art’ they had helped generate, this was in the form of Pictures and High Definition Movies, as digital limited editions. - An Idea inspired by the web platform s[edition].
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‘Science’ Installation was a light painting activity, aiming to recreate the origin of the Universe. Simulating the experiments of the LHC - Large Hadron Collider - in Geneva by the CERN, participants had fun and collaborated in order to try to achieve similar images to those created in the simulations by the particle accelerator. The chosen place for this ‘experiment’ was an area 500 times smaller than the LHC - 54m perimeter in comparison with the 27km perimeter of the LHC -, next to ‘Our Dynamic Earth’ a well-known science related space in Edinburgh.
Our Dynamic Earth, space for the light installation ‘Science’
The installation is also a tribute to the British theoretical physicist and emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh Peter Higgs, who gives his name to the God Particle - Higgs boson -, which was confirmed through the simulations by the CERN Physicist, during the setting of the installation.
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Participants of the light installation ‘Science’ trying to recreate the images of the simulations of the experiments made by the CERN in the LHC.
Some of the participants during the light painting activity, using different kinds of lights and ‘homemade gadgets’. All declared how fun it was the activity despite the weather and ‘darkness’ of the place.
Simulations of the experiments in the LHC - Large Hadron Collider -, made by the CERN in Geneva to find the Higgs Boson.
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Long ago, electronic devices were not needed to know when and where we were - there was no Google Maps. All you had to do was look up to read the sky. A good example of people who navigated this way were sailors, they were skilled navigators capable of finding their way during the long nights on the sea. But what would happen if they were in the context of an actual city, what if tiny (Lilliputian) sailors were to be stuck in one of our ponds, canals, lakes… they would be lost, unable to find their way due to light pollution. This is the small story behind the ‘Cosmology’ installation. This time, people was encouraged to come and ‘rescue’ these little boats, which had a hidden link and password for the pictures and videos of the installation. Also, through social media, a mini-tutorial of how to create your own Lilliputian paper boats.
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The pond in Inverleith park was the scenario of the light installation. Lilliputian paper glowing boats (water-proof) during the light installation with some of the participants trying to rescue them
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Myths are part of our history and most of our most enduring are represented in the dark skies in the form of constellations. Having a look at the stars is like having a look at ancient Greek books (cradle of our civilization), but nowadays those books are being censured by light pollution. For recovering this part of our history, the light installation Mythology had ‘pride of place’ on the Top of the Calton Hill, bringing down to earth some of these constellations and with them the myths attached. Between The National Monument, a clear reference to ancient Greece, and the old observatory, this location was the perfect place to have a nice, joyful light painting experience, where people were encouraged to realize that ‘dark spots’ do not to have to be at odds with fun and security. Participants had to draw with light the constellations represented by the lights that paradoxically covered the chosen space. The more collaboration, the better results and more fun people had.
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Some of the ‘drawings’ made by the participants, gaining access to their creations. Do you imaging what is the password?
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“It is written in the stars” that is what primitive cultures would consider when they ‘read’ the stars without any contamination between them. It is easy to understand then why they were largely influence by the stars, and therefore why this relationship was at the centre of their culture. Centuries later, stars have still had a big influence on people, being also a great source of inspiration for many, among them, writers and poets. Due to this, the scenario for the installation ‘Culture’ could not be better situated than at the Writer´s Museum next to the Royal Mile. Specifically, outside of the museum, where the ground is full of quotes by famous Scottish writers and poets. For lighting up our culture again, and in order to recover inspiration, people were asked via the social networks to write about which of the sight engraved quotes inspired them, whilst at the same time proposing new ones. Writing down every one on a ‘post it’ that was then illuminated, they were placed on their source of inspiration, and the installation was extended by new additions from people walking by, who got interested in the installation. The more people participated, the more similar to a dark sky full of stars the place seemed to be. 20
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Comments written by the participants on Facebook or personally during the installation, being rewarded with the code and password to access to the web.
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Many philosophers (probably all) have wondered about our place in the universe, where do we come from? Where are we going?… Questions that would especially rise while staring at the stars, an image easier to imagine during the time of ancient Greek civilization than nowadays. However, their inspiration has always been there, and the last installation ‘Philosophy’ tried to bring it back. If we talk about Philosophy in Scotland, we have to talk about David Hume, one of the most important figures of the Scottish Enlightenment and western philosophy. That’s why his sculpture in the Royal Mile was the chosen space for this installation. In an attempt of re-enlightenment bringing back the symbolic light that has been blinded, following Hume´s empiricism (knowledge comes only from sensory experience), people was encouraged to share what they have learnt in their life by personal experience, not read or told by someone else, but by seeing and generating real knowledge. Using Twitter for this cause, with the hashtag #STARvationPhilosophy and the web visibletweets.com, all these experiences were projected in real time over Hume´s sculpture. 24
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Tweets with the hashtag #STARvationPhilosophy projected on Hume´s sculpture in real time
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Thanks... to all the people who have participated at some point in any of the installations and along the process. Especially to Qianqian, Michal, Rebbeca, my atelier leader Euan, the rest of the ‘digital citizens’, family, friends and most of all Alba, for putting up with me.
Links of interest Web http://starvationedinburgh.wordpress.com Facebook STARvation - recovering our roots #STARvationPhilosophy Tumblr http://turnoffthelightordie.tumblr.com/ http://omargraphicdesigner.tumblr.com/ 30
OMAR BARCO - omarcosas@hotmail.com 31