During second semester, I decided to create an immersive art exhibition in which to best express the evolution from light to dark. This played around with the concept of nyctophobia, largely known as the fear of the dark and moreover the daunting unknown which lurks there. This primeval fear is widely shared amongst many of us and so presents itself as a relatable topic area for I too share this fear. Being able to relate to this subject so personally allowed me to create my own little immersive world in which to both best express and contradict my phobia.
I set out to create an experimental, immersive art installation that audience members would meander through and be able to find a certain beauty within the night but also detect a certain level of danger there also. This piece I call the ‘Twilight Zone,’ which by definition sums up the middle ground between light and shadow which connotes my transformational period very nicely and aligns with my recurring theme of nyctophobia.
In order to create my desired effect, I needed four projectors in which to project videos that I am to construct, consisting of a compilation of videos and images which I believe best represent the light and dark in all their various forms, include timelapses of sunset’s, sunrises and other pivotal periods of time that draw emphasis to the transformation between night and day. Using large sheets cascading down from the ceiling, I created an enclosed space in which the audience may meander through and immersive themselves within my little ‘Twilight Zone’ and onto these sheets will be my contrasting videos encapsulating both light and dark. I found that paint protection sheets work best as they come in the biggest sizes and have a certain translucency to them which plays well to the overall atmosphere I was hoping to create.
Furthermore, two separate ambisonic immersive audio soundscapes, one to capture the light and the other the dark, played from separate corners of the room maintaining synergy with the videos show as well as 3D elements I incorporated. These were broken glass bottles, suspended from fishing wire, as well as daisies to create a direct juxtaposition within the air. These proved rather difficult to set up to desired effect but through resilience and determination this was carried out to full effect.
Lastly, I really wanted to incorporate candles to create a warm yet eerie glow as the flicker along the floor, guiding audience members through this area. However, as I was to set up my installation within the Ellen Terry building in a room without windows to best accentuate my projections, I used LED candles instead as to not pose any risks to fire safety. I fell as though this diverse range of equipment and materials adds depth to the ‘zone’ in which I wish to create and by drawing inspiration from my research carried out I too am able to tie together multiple mediums of expression in order to build to a larger representation of nyctophobia.
Throughout the production process I learnt many technical skills, specifically with capturing a perfect timelapse of a busy road at night from above and editing this effectively. Additionally, when filming with bubbles, strobe lights and smoke I learnt that timing is crucial especially when considering external and uncontrollable factors such as weather.
