Image: Enlightenment 2015, immersive light installation by artist collective Squidsoup.
800th anniversary of Magna Carta, 2015
LARGE SCALE LIGHT-BASED INSTALLATIONS
Salisbury Cathedral’s Chapter House is home to one of the four original Magna Carta documents, which guaranteed English political liberties. Drafted at Runnymede and signed by King John on June 15, 1215, under pressure from his rebellious barons. By declaring the Sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documenting the liberties held by “free men,” it provided the foundation for individual rights.
To celebrate and commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral, the Dean and Chapter requested art installations to interpret the events visually. I commissioned two installations by Squid Soup an international creative group of artists and designers working with digital and interactive media experiences.
The combination of the physical and intellectual challenges of siting contemporary digital art in a cathedral is challenging. Squid Soup’s work combines physical and dynamic virtual spaces with novel and intuitive forms of interaction to produce immersive, responsive and beguiling experiences.
Interaction with Enlightenment, 2015
North Porch with Enlightenment interactive light installation.
The Power of Words, 2015. Light projection onto wall of Morning Chapel. By Squidsoup.
The Power of Words, 2015. Light projection onto wall of Morning Chapel. By Squidsoup.
Enlightenment
A walk-through 3D installation was located in the North Porch. The site was filled with thousands of beacons of individually controllable lights used to suggest presence and movement, surrounding viewers, submerging them in an ephemeral space filled with constantly changing colours and atmospheric sound. This artwork was concerned with the idea of the ripple effect of Magna Carta, how its principles have evolved to encompass much of the globe, we entered the space and felt the magnitude of the legacy of this important document.
Pupil of Cathedral Scholl interacting with the interactive Light projection. By Squidsoup.
Power of Words
The Power of Words, sited on the North wall of the Morning Chapel, reintroduced visitors to the Charter’s text, encouraging them to engage with it not just as a historical artefact, but as a contemporary symbol of power. The installation consisted of a wall projection of emotive words, with a theme of society and justice, which when touched by the visitor would fall to the floor like scattered leaves, to be replaced by another branch showing a different article of Magna Carta. The idea behind this was to allow the audience to reflect on the consequences of their actions.
The exhibition was opened by the Right Reverend Nick Holtam (Bishop of Salisbury).
Photography by Ash Mills