Using the light to project our heritage.

 



Light is something we are all searching for in these turbulent times and the use of light through the centuries to reflect our heritage goes back longer than we can imagine.

Since the use of the flame and shadows in caves telling the tales of hunting and heroic events light projection has been a way of bringing people together in a sense of wonder on dark nights.



Chinese Magic mirrors originating in China and Japan, when held up to the sunlight reflected their carved backs onto a dark wall since the 2nd C- BC Han Dynasty, so called magic because the 19th C travellers who brought them back couldn’t find out how they managed to project through carved metal. The mirrors carvings were of the trees and surrounds of the local areas and watching them reflected was a mysterious event. Shadow play through backlit cloth with the use of leather carved flat puppets in Java taught moral stories as well used as a pure artform. This form of puppetry has been widely seen throughout the world. The merging of light, mirrors and art brought about the magic lantern in 1659, that projected images at a distance previously not seen before. Sliding, manipulating images painted on glass gave the appearance of movement.


As we all know from these early examples vast changes took place with the invention of photography and film and we are still captivated by light projection today we have immersive technologies that can completely fill a room walls, ceiling and floors are covered in moving imagery that is beautiful and spectacular. With projection mapping you can now scan a 3D form and project on to it perfectly this technology has now become mainstream and buildings especially heritage buildings are a perfect canvas.



So, this use of outdoor projection has gone from the preserve of Christmas and New year’s eve celebrations to being used by heritage sites as a way of telling their story in a new way and attracting new audiences especially the Instagram hungry ones. Every year in Autumn Berlin becomes the city of light art. The light productions on the world-famous landmarks, monuments, buildings and squares of the German capital they tell stories, draw attention to what is hidden in the neighbourhoods, present cultures and arts, transport messages and themes. Similarly the Shine a Light brought about by a company called illuminous tells Derbyshire’s history through large scale projections in the mill yard at Cromford Mills and Chatsworth House is a good local example of this.

There is something full circle about the current spectacular events the principals are still to tell stories on a dark night and bring the community together in a magical way and in these Covid times an outdoor event is going to be very popular and safe way to do this.

Read More:

Chinese magic mirrors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2SlMPmTgGY

Shadow Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfydro4X2t0

Magic Lanterns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1XkqtzLfKo&t=461s

Berlin Festival of Lights: https://festival-of-lights.de/en/

Shine a light: https://www.illuminos.co.uk/ 

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/shine-a-light/shine-a-light.aspx 

 

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