The Light in Winter 2013

The Light in Winter is an annual festival held during winter in Melbourne each year. The festival celebrates winter with wonderful artistic sculptures, usually best enjoyed at night when the sculptures become illuminated.

This year's key attraction is The Helix Tree, designed by Melbourne-based illumination designer Bruce Ramos. The Helix Tree is a 13m high steel structure with interactive illumination that responds to sound. The tree varies in colour and intensity based on the volume and pitch of the sound it hears.

Various choirs from around Melbourne have been invited to sing under the tree and demonstrate this interactive display of sound and light.

Also see last year's Light in Winter: Close Encounters 2012 

Pa.. pa... Paparazzi

Paparazzi Dogs sculpture on display at Federation Square in Melbourne. These life size man-dog paparazzi sculptures were commissioned for Federation Square and made by Marc and Gillie Schattner.

The Light in Winter 2012

The Light in Winter is a yearly festival in Melbourne celebrating the Winter Solstice. Local and international artists, designers, architects, filmmakers and multicultural groups come together to create a month-long program of light sculptures, talks, events, workshops, and performances.

Close Encounters: A giant UFO floating in Federation Square.The curved mirrors underneath reflect the world around it and LED messages circle the circumference, inviting and responding to public text messages.  Artwork by Jordana Maisie.

Literature vs Traffic: Transforming the Square’s busy walkways with thousands of pre-loved, reclaimed books and journals, to create a living, light-filled installation especially for Melbourne. Artwork by Luzinterruptus.

Return of the Strandbeest

More photos of the Strandbeest featured in Federation Square, Melbourne. Kinetic sculptures by Theo Jansen.

Refer to previous blog post: The Strandbeest in Melbourne, for further information.

The Strandbeest in Melbourne

The Strandbeest are kinetic sculptures that operate on wind and are able to move about as if they were living animals. They are created by Dutch artist Theo Jansen, who has a passion for combining art and engineering. 

The name "strandbeest" means beach animal in Dutch. These creatures are designed to walk on sandy surfaces. Theo has been working on various forms of strandbeest since 1990, and many of his creations walk around beaches freely as if they possessed a primitive form of artificial life.

The examples shown here in Federation Square in Melbourne are earlier forms of strandbeest, and unfortunately aren't able to demonstrate their usual self-autonomy here since the wind is not sufficient to power them, and their legs are not suitable to walk on hard ground. The larger beest here is named Animaris Umerus and measures 12m x 4m x 2m. The smaller one is Animaris Ordis Mutantis, measuring 4m x 2m x 2m, and is available for the public to play with.

I think quote from Theo Jansen's website explains the concept well:

Since 1990, Theo Jansen has been occupied with the making of a new nature. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. He makes skeletons which are able to walk on the wind. Eventually he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.

More photos added in new post: Return of the Strandbeest

Some further links for those interested:

• Theo Jansen's Website
• Federation Square - Strandbeest 
• Very interesting video on youtube