ECLIPSE
public art installation
ECLIPSE
Aluminium, Steel and LED
2024
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From December 28th, 2024, to January 27th, 2025, the iconic waterfalls of Bad Gastein serve as the canvas for Eclipse, a dynamic light installation by the media artist collective lichterloh. Suspended above the cascading waters of Bad Gastein, a luminous circular shape—crafted from aluminum, steel, and LED pixel strips—emerges as a portal-like arc, exploring the intersection between technology and nature.
Through an ever-shifting play of color and light, Eclipse’s circular shape is in constant transformation, casting a radiant spotlight on the waterfall. The arc—4.75 meters in diameter—intentionally remains incomplete, forming precisely two-thirds of a full circle. Its absence aligns directly with the landscape, positioning the rushing stream as a circle segment that symbolically completes the form. Looming above like a gateway between realms, the arc frames the waterfall as both the subject and the heartbeat of the installation, embodying the tension between the seen and the unseen, the natural and the constructed.
Drawing inspiration from the celestial phenomenon of a solar eclipse, the installation delves into the profound interplay of light, shadow, and hidden truths. During a total eclipse, an astronomical body is veiled, leaving behind the glowing corona—an ethereal outline hinting at the obscured presence. Eclipse translates this cosmic event into a striking visual metaphor, illuminating the unseen and inviting viewers to contemplate what lies hidden beneath the surface. This idea resonates deeply with Bad Gastein, where the thermal springs, though concealed in the ground, can be experienced in every corner of this historic region.
The installation’s visual connection to its environment extends beyond light, engaging with the site’s natural landscape. The incessant roar of the waterfall—a defining characteristic of this location—serves as a basis to create the interplay of light and shadow. Even the hidden thermal springs beneath the stream bed influence the course of animations, forging a profound connection between the installation and the location’s essence.
This artwork embodies a world of contrasts, balancing opposites like nature and technology, brightness and darkness, precision and chaos. These tensions create a dialogue within the installation, highlighting the complexity and duality inherent in both the natural world and human experience while transforming the iconic waterfall of Bad Gastein into a symphony of changing light, materials, and contradictions.
Eclipse invites viewers to explore the interplay of the visible and the invisible, offering a poetic and intimate meditation on the hidden forces that shape the natural world and our perception of it.
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CREDITS:
Construction: Industrial Illusions GesnbR (Vienna)
LED Specialist: Manuel Biedermann (Vienna)
Support: Bergrettung Salzburg
SAROS
Live Audiovisual Performance with Austrian Apparel
On December 28th, 2024, and January 23rd, 2025, lichterloh presents a live audiovisual performance at Eclipse. Collaborating with Dominik Traun of Austrian Apparel, the collective transforms the luminous arc into a symphony of light and synthesizer sounds.
The ever-shifting choreography of light and sound is intricately tied to the concept of the Saros cycle, a periodicity in eclipse prediction spanning approximately 18 years. This cycle’s harmony and precision are embedded within the A/V Show, deepening the circular form of Eclipse and connecting the ephemeral beauty of the performance to the superior order of the cosmos.
While the Saros cycle guides the rhythm, the rushing waterfall of Bad Gastein is delicately woven into the sounds of the audiovisual show, blending digital light with organic audio. The result is a multisensory experience where the interplay of natural and technological elements comes to life in real-time, inviting the audience to witness the fusion of art, sound, and the distinctive surroundings of Bad Gastein’s iconic waterfalls.
