The global warming caused by carbon emissions is an inevitable negative impact on the process of urbanization, which directly leads to the melting of arctic glaciers, causing sea-level rise, water pollution, and drastic changes in the ecological environment. “Arctic Melting” symbolizes the Arctic scene through the sound and light simulation of ice, snow, aurora, wind and water. Expressing the artists’ thinking of the relationship between humans and nature through the interaction between audiences and the installation.
The entire installation covers around 100 sqm, consisting a light cube, a light ring and hoisting structures. Steel cables and brackets allow the entire device to “float” in the grassland, expressing the ethereal and inaccessible arctic environment. The outer ring forms with colourful light strips, adding a sense of fantasy and emphasizing the isolation and distinction of the Arctic region. The entire light cube is wrapped in an ice-like material, with built-in screens. Through the internal multilayer optical structure, the image is blurred. When the audience observes inward through the ice layer, it creates a deep sense of distance, restoring the visual effect of the Arctic ice-covered everything.
When the art installation is turned on, the “Aurora” appears, and the light cube presents a freezing white effect, accompanied by the sound of the cold wind. When audiences appears, the sound of the slow dripping of water droplets appeared, and the light cube showed a slow dynamic change from cool white to light blue, simulating the state where the Arctic glaciers began to melt. As viewers get closer to the installation, the sound of dripping drops accelerates, and the speed of the light cube changes faster, showing a dynamic change from white, light blue to dark blue. This interaction is the epitome of the mutual influence of human behaviour and the ecological environment changes.
Arctic Melting is an interactive lighting installation, which is the artist’s reflection on the relationship between humans and the natural. For Sight Group would like to use this light art installation in urban nightscapes to raise public awareness for carbon neutrality.
