UNESCO

      The World Heritage Centre, UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, was bathed in light from SGM for the two nights of the opening ceremony of the International Year of Light.

 

Finnish lighting artist and designer Kari Kola prepared a full concept design including light, video and music for a spectacular light display for the iconic Fontenoy building during the ceremony. For Kola’s installation “Light Is Here” no fewer than 130 SGM P-5 wash lights and 14 G-Spot moving heads were deployed. “Everything had to be IP65 rated, and I needed lots of power and a good saturation of colours, so these units were perfect for the job,” Kola explains.  “I wanted to reflect the most powerful elements of natural light, Aurora Borealis (Northern light) and sunrise, bringing in the North and the nature to the opening ceremony.”

 

The 360-degree installation thus swathed the building in blues and greens contrasting the warm colours of the sunrise and accompanied by music composed by the designer himself. Unquestionably, the project presented a comprehensive task, where Kola was faced with a tight timetable as well a monumental building.

 

In his abstract light creation, the P-5 LED wash light played the leading role, spiced up with elements from the G-Spot moving head. “The purpose was to break the surface with gobo animation and video content,” he says.

 

The smoothness of colours and dimming, together with the powerful output of the SGM fixtures, won Kola over in his selection of the lighting equipment, and having completed the project he is left with a beautiful piece of work that has received nothing but positive comments.