SOLA
Sola (2020-21)
Immersive installation, up to 16m x 8m x 7m
LEDs and electronics, acrylic, steel, aluminium, wood
At one level a testament to the pure joy of feeling the sun’s rays on your body, Sola is a monumental wall of artificial sunlight to brighten your day. It is a reminder of the summer sun, warmth and joy that lie ahead.
In the project, a vast array of collimated light sources produces the illusion and perspective of a new sun, millions of miles away in a cloudless sky.
Yet this sun is not quite real. Shadows are not exactly as expected. Distortions and haloes of orange and blue appear, creating intriguing forms and light interplay. The result is an escapist immersive atmosphere; nothing is quite as it seems – surreal, oddly reassuring, reminiscent of science fiction scenarios, yet highly ephemeral.
Background
Sola continues Squidsoup’s explorations into the physicality and materiality of light, how it affects our experience and perception of space and ourselves, and how it can be used to create spaces and experiences that encourage togetherness and inspire conversation.
Squidsoup have been pioneering the use of light, sound, space and technology to create immersive installations and experiences since the late ‘90s. We enable people to view the world from different perspectives, creating beguilement and wonder through new kinds of physical and emotional experience.
Sola is a Squidsoup project, sponsored by Hyundai. The work was first shown outside Guy’s Hospital London in support of NHS staff, students, patients and visitors (8 March – 4 April 2021).
Commissioned by Hope+Glory
