Open Air

Open Air
video/mp4
1280 × 720
00:56

Open Air
video/mp4
1280 × 720
00:56

Combining public art with mobile technology, Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer presented the world premiere of "Open Air," Sept. 20 - Oct. 14, 2012. Commissioned by the Association for Public Art, "Open Air" is a spectacular interactive light experience directed by participants' voices and GPS locations, illuminating the night sky from Philadelphia's historic Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The project was presented in conjunction with the 2012 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and the 2012 DesignPhiladelphia Festival.

Using a free mobile app developed by Lozano-Hemmer's studio, participants were invited to record and submit messages of up to 30 seconds. In response, 24 robotic searchlights, stationed along the Parkway, created a unique dynamic light formation in the sky. The lights reacted in brightness and position to the GPS location of the participants and the frequency and amplitude of their voice recording.