[d]ecaStrike
dbell
Hoare Lea & Signify
Step into the mesmerising world of [djecastrike, an innovative lighting art installation that reimagines the classic game of ten-pin bowling. This installation invites viewers to reflect on the intersection of art and technology, and how traditional games can be transformed into modern, interactive experiences. The suspended pins, crafted with precision using 3D printing technology, are illuminated by a flexible lighting system that enhances their form. The infinity mirror adds a surreal dimension, making viewers feel as though they are peering into an endless corridor of light and motion.
[djecastrike is not just an art installation; it’s an immersive experience that blends technology and creativity.
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)


X - Puzzle
dbell
Foster + Partners & Kingfisher Lighting
X-Puzzleis an immersive lighting installation designed for the Darc Awards 2025 in London, inspired by the theme of “10” (X in Roman numerals). The design deconstructsand rebuildsthe number X, transforming it into a dynamic composition of intersecting lines and patterns that shift with movement and light.
Using mirror surfaces, dichroic filters, and foamboard, the installation creates an interactive experiencewhere reflections, colours, and shadowscontinuously evolve. Visitors are invited to explore the space from different angles, engaging with the layered optical effects. Carefully integrated luminaires enhance this play of light, reinforcing the concept of transformation and reconstruction.
Designed with sustainability in mind, all materials are sourced from Foster + Partners’ Modelshop recycling stock, ensuring a responsible and minimal-waste approach to its construction and dismantling
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)


Piece of Cake
dbell
dpa lighting consultants & Radiant Architectural Lighting
‘Piece of Cake’ is a stylised birthday cake complete with ten candles, which are internally illuminated by a radiant water effect luminaire, in carefully selected hues, to mimic candle flicker. Whilst continuously looping through a pre-set scene, the installation hides a surprise sequence that is trigged only by a guest blowing into the retro style microphone in front of the installation, to temporary extinguish the candle lights and activate a special interim scene.
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)


Ten Years in Neon
dbell
Arup & ATEA
Moved by how much our world has changed in the ten years since the first [d]arc awards, we aimed to create an installation that would explore the historical events of the last decade.
Inspired by the Bayeux tapestry, where medieval historical events were visually retold using textiles, we opted to tell modern stories using a modern medium: Neon (the tenth element in the periodic table).
Neon signage has contrasting connotations, to some it induces feelings of joy, vibrance and nightlife, whereas to others it relays themes of salaciousness, grunge and commercialism.
This dichotomy reflects the strong contrasting emotions intrinsic to the subject matter. The subjects explored in the installation are likely to make visitors feel pride, joy and relief, as well as sadness, loss, or fear.
Overall, ‘Ten Years in Neon’ is a highly emotive installation. At first glance, we expect visitors to see it as a fun, vibrant, surface-level piece of pop-art, but on closer reflection it is revealed to explore the deeper, complex and conflicting feelings that are increasingly intrinsic to modern life.
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)


[The Choice]*
dbell
Buro Huppold & Unibox
‘The Choice’ Conceived by Buro Happold in collaboration with Unibox to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the [djarc awards. The installation, based around the concept of 10 as binary, is enclosed within a cube, purposefully designed to reflect the growing tension between human reliance on technology for even the simplest choices.
Anchored in binary code, the language at the core of our digital era, the installation reflects the infinite possibilities held within the digits 1 and 0, directly reflecting the thematic significance of the integer 10. The installation draws on the tension of choice and duality to invite a sensory-led exploration through rhythmic patterns and abstract form, opening a portal into the shifting dynamic between
humanity and artificial intelligence.
As we continue to live in a world where artificial intelligence quietly scripts the parameters of our reality, this luminous intervention reminds us that the future is not imposed. It asks what it means to choose freely in a world increasingly guided by algorithms. Can you reclaim autonomy and free will, or continue to move through a world written by the silent sentient technological presence coding your reality?
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)


[d]arc: The Voyage So Far
dbell
ae7 & Rako Controls
Step into a mesmerizing realm of light with “[djarc: The Voyage So Far”. This is an immersive Al-generated cinematic feature, which reimagines the decade-long journey of the [djarc awards from their initiation in 2015, to the current event.
The journey begins in the present day, where the “spirit of [djarc” stumbles upon a preserved Light & Play installation – an artifact from the very first [djarc awards in 2015. As she reaches out, the installation pulses to life, becoming a portal that draws her into the past. What follows is a seamless, voyage through time from the [djarc spirit’s first-person point of view. Through her eyes, we traverse a seamless, immersive flow of Al- generated visuals and soundscapes, each inspired by the iconic installations and venues of past 10 years of [djarc awards.
Each year unfolds as a living, breathing world, inspired by the original exhibits and their creative essence. Cubes shift and rearrange, geodesic domes pulse with rhythmic energy, Christmas trees morph into luminous sculptures, and gifts of light pass between hands unseen. Every transition is fluid, as if light itself is guiding the journey, until finally, the spirit reaches the threshold of 2024. Here, time bends once more, and she is catapulted forward, back to the present 2025, standing at the intersection of past achievements and the limitless future ahead.
What you witness is not just a tribute to a decade of [djarc but a glimpse into the power of Al as a creative partner. Every element of this experience – the visuals, video sequences, soundtrack, narration, lyrics, and vocals has been generated with Al in co-pilot mode, bringing the story of the [djarc Spirits magnificent decade to life, in a way that has never been seen before.
Image: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)

