Media Orbs | Clouds
Ralphe Kenke
Clouds, a ground-breaking temporary activation was installed in the Singleton LGA in Burns Lane in 2021. This interactive public art installation was created by FASTlab researcher German-born Media Artist, Ralph Kenke. This project was made possible as part of the collaboration between the University of Newcastle’s Future Art, Science and Technology Lab (FASTlab), Art Thinking Australia and Ars Electronica.
Clouds was a light-activated, interactive media work that when walked beneath prompted an encompassing visual experience to unfold.
These media orbs where operational during the Firelight festival from 28th May – 30th May 2021 as part of the Living Laneways project, a NSW Government, Streets as Shared Spaces program from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Artist Ralph Kenke describes the inspiration for his work as wanting to create a work that would have a broad appeal and provide a unique experience for the town.
‘The brief requested a Laneway Activation that engaged citizens on the location to experience its city in a different light’. This was achieved by the installation of a Cloud of balloons floating three metres across the Burns Street laneway. The Balloons, Ralph explains, are representative of a human form and are meant to disrupt and challenge the use of public space. Kenke states that this mimicry of the human body is to ‘symbolise the singularity of a car passenger and the loss of valuable space in Burns Lane for people to walk’. This disruption is made active as the space becomes filled with pedestrians.
‘Since historically, the lane was dedicated to passengers in cars, we intend(ed) to use the simple act of walking as a mechanism for interaction’.
It was with this act of walking that the Balloons, which were equipped with LED and proximity sensors were activated causing a light display of ‘vibrant green to blue as citizens step(ped) below the Cloud, visualising the collective movement of the community’.
For further information and enquiries, contact: ralph kenke – online or @ralphkenke.
