Hadrian’s Wall to become a huge interactive light installation

This weekend Hadrian’s Wall will be transformed into a huge light installation, with hundreds of illuminated weather balloons.

Photograph taken from trial run
How Connecting Light is expected to look

The Connecting Light piece, part of the London 2012 Festival, has been created by New York based digital collective YesYesNo, which worked with artist and programmer Zachary Lieberman.

The work will see pulses of light sent along the length of 73 miles of Hadrian’s Wall from Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend, to Bowness-On-Solway on the west Cumbrian coast.

It has been designed to be viewed remotely via www.connectinglight.info where viewers can control the installation and broadcast messages.

Should you find yourself in border country, free non-ticketed interactivity points have been set up at intervals along the wall, where there’s a high density of communicating balloons.

Photograph taken from trial run
Photograph taken from trial run

Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of the Hadrian’s Wall Trust says, ‘Connecting Light will turn what was the Roman Empire’s northern frontier into a contemporary communication system. It is a really exciting opportunity to bring people together across the world.’

Ruth Mackenzie, director of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival says, ‘Connecting Light’s beautiful installation invites us to re-imagine borders as places not where people are separated but where we meet and communicate.’

Connecting Light is part of the London 2012 Festival, a Cultural Olympiad initiative and takes place at Hadrian’s Wall on 31 August and 1 September. For more information go to: www.connectinglight.info

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  • Tom Gorman November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I went to see this and was very disappointed. The vast majority of the ballons were unlit.

  • Lesley Vipond- Clarke November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Last night, Saturday, we travelled from South Cumbria, upto the Wall and along as far as Steelrigg expecting to see a stream of lights along the Wall and further towards Housesteads. We actually saw 4 lights at Wallsend Crag. The Volunteers were not much help as they did not know what was happening. To say we were disapointed is an understatement. There seemed to be absolutly no organisation or co-ordinated control. WHAT HAPPENED ??????

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