Interactive Installation Bringing The Power Of The Sun To Light City
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With just four days to go until Light City, artists and engineers across Baltimore are making final preparations for their installations, including one that's interactive.
Ten new artists joining the Light City lineup this year are from Baltimore. One of the groups is hoping the power of the sun will open visitors' eyes.
From a home workshop in Waverly, 432 feet of neon light will soon become an interactive art experience at Light City at the Inner Harbor.
"People will be invited to stomp on these bleachers, creating sound that will be amplified and modulated through our audiovisual system. This will create different responses and video inspired by imagery of the sun," artist Graham Coreil-Allen said.
The harder you stomp, the more sound and light will react.
What's unique is the 32-foot, high-tech exhibit — which was designed by Coreil-Allen, Matt Miller and Mark Brown — is entirely powered by the sun.
The panels are currently up on Miller's roof for testing, but they'll soon be mounted on massive scaffolding in McKeldin Square.
"What you see in McKeldin Square is enough power to run a house here in Baltimore. The average is about 7,500 kilowatts per year, and we're creating about 8,000," solar engineer Matt Weaver said.
Sun Stomp is one of 21 brand new installations coming to Light City.
This year's theme is "More love, more lights."
The festival brought in nearly 500,000 people from around the world last year -- a shot in the arm for Baltimore's economy and a big stage for artists lighting up downtown either by plugging in or harnessing the power of the sun.
"I'm hoping that people will come out of this with a renewed sense of joy for the possibilities of public space, as well as an appreciation for the possibilities of solar energy right here in Baltimore," Coreil-Allen said.
Installation for Sun Stomp starts Thursday. The artists and engineers will be there every day of Light City, which runs from April 14 to 21.
As part of WJZ's community connection, we are proud to be a sponsor of Light City. Find out more about Light City here.
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