As part of the Art in the Landscape programme, we were delighted to collaborate with Squidsoup on The Power of Art – an experimental light installation – exploring technology, energy, and a sense of place.
The Power of Art was funded by Stockton International Riverside Festival, and Arts Council England. Working with industry partner, Cleevely, the experiment explored ways to power large scale light works off-grid with renewable energy. Cleevely provided electric car batteries which had reached end-of-life status in vehicles, but could still have a use elsewhere.
Power has always been a precious commodity, and in 2022, events made this point clearer than it has been for decades. This project explored ways for renewable energy to be harnessed to power digital artworks like these, and in so doing, freeing them from previous constraints.
In a secret location in the Cotswolds, The Power of Art was installed in a secluded woodland. Fifty illuminated orbs were powered by energy harvested through solar panels charging repurposed electric vehicle batteries. The trial, testing the feasibility of using renewables for artworks, used a twelve minute performance cycle of pulses and glows set to a soundtrack. This research hoped to provide technical information; for example how long the work could sustain itself, how the work might be scaled up, and how the loss occurred in AC to DC conversion could be removed. As an experimental piece, the installation was not open to the public, but could be viewed as a livestream of the work in situ. Viewers observed the natural light shifting and changing through the day, and the artwork’s audio track was complemented by the ambient sounds of the woodland.
Together, we hoped to show that by using technology and renewable energy, we can bring art to as many people as possible – presenting works in different ways, to new audiences and communities, and in new rural locations.
Working with Squidsoup on this pioneering project had huge potential, and we look forward to seeing where it takes us in the future.
