Stonehenge
Salisbury Cathedral has launched its new Christmas art installation, Star of Bethlehem, created by coding artist Jayson Haebich.
The Star, made by projecting light onto a transparent screen, appears as a morphing geometrical shape, moving slowly and gracefully above the Cathedral’s Spire crossing.
Viewers can interact with it, changing its shape and colour via an iPad in the area of the William Pye font. Shining brightly after dusk, the Star is also visible throughout the day.
Jayson Haebich said: “It has been exciting working with Salisbury Cathedral on this piece, which responds to theme of the Star of Bethlehem. Creating a highly technical and contemporary light installation that works within a very ancient and important heritage listed building posed some unique challenges, but I am very happy with the result and the fact that people who enter the cathedral can engage with it. Even while we were setting up the piece there was a lot of interest in the interactive aspect of it and I look forward to seeing how it will go over the coming months.”
Jacquiline Creswell, curator and Cathedral Arts Advisor said: “The Star of Bethlehem has been created using two laser projectors set high in the Triforium. The star shape whose geometries change gradually over time are created algorithmically by code which means that they will never repeat and the star shape constantly evolves. The installation is interactive and this interactivity engages the viewer directly with the work, giving the star projection an inclusive element. We, the viewers, will be able to play with a palette of colours and move the star shapes to create our own Star of Bethlehem.”
Visitors will able to see and manipulate the 2D Star until 2 February 2017.
