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City Sleep Light is an artwork
that makes the radical move of transforming a
whole building into the sleep light of the city,
akin to the sleep light of a computer. All the
lights of the building pulse together : seen
from far away, the whole building behaves like a
single white light slowly pulsating with an
organic rhythm. It can be seen from very far,
even from outer-space. This giant sleep light
starts when night falls and the city's activity
slows down. It is the sleep light of the city.
Like animals sleep brainwaves,
the City Pulse rhythm and dynamics is slightly different
every night, because it is sensitive to
the current spirits of the city, perceived
through various socio-economic markers.
Abstracting the concept of
Nicolas Schoeffer's cybernetic towers, City
Sleep Light acknowledges the city as a very
large system, but here the huge urban organism
is sleeping. Through the sole presence of the
pulsating sleep light, thanks precisely to the
actual absence of any superfluous arbitrary
visual effect or data representation, it
confronts the spectator to the potential
complexity and power of the city when it wakes
up.
Its organic pulse also creates
an emotional link by connecting the inhabitants
with the city's sleep, triggering feelings of
peacefulness, empathy and belonging. But as
often in my artworks, it is not innocuous and
eventually questions the people about their role
and responsibility within this complex system.
Physically, City Sleep Light
can be created using various technologies, like
LED-equipped facades and building, light or LED
projectors, videoprojectors, etc... In any case,
the light is synchronized on the City Pulse,
which is available through internet and is also
visible live inside
a browser, so that anyone at home or
abroad, on his iPhone or her Android, can
connect to it and pulse synchronously
with the city's sleep.
The City Pulse never stops and
the City Sleep Light is its manifestation.
Antoine Schmitt, august 2010
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NEWS - NOUVELLES
3-13 Dec 2012 : City Sleep
Light exhibited on the SESI Center (Sao Paulo,
BR), as part of the Sao Paulo Urban
Digital Festival
6-11 décembre 2011
: Pour la Fête des Lumières de Lyon 2011, Vinci
Immobilier a commandité le déploiement de City
Sleep Light sur l'ancien hôpital Debrousse. For the Fête des
Lumières of Lyon 2011 (FR), Vinci Immobilier
has commissionned the deployment of City Sleep
Light on the former Debrousse Hospital.
(more...)
October 2010 : City Sleep Light
has been awarded an Honorary Mention at the Digital Turku LIVE 2011 Grand
Prix.
August 2010 : City Sleep Light
is selected and presented in the Media Facades Festival
2010 in five european cities.
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