'Blue Night' was first celebrated in 2000. Since then it has grown into a significant event with crowds of 130,000 and is one of the largest of its kind in the Munich area. In comparison to many other cities Nurnberg ups the ante with the illumination of the whole city which, for the public, is a chance to experience art outside the museums.
The project office Kulturprofile invited many artists and designers including Antonius Quodt, the lighting designer and professor Jochen Siegemund to participate in the competition for the fourth 'Blue Night'. Both participants are faculty members at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Germany and decided to pool their resources for a chance to perform at the event.
After the first trip to the site, it was clear to them that only a group concept could work and the planning team was increased to include Maja Kuhn, Verena Hellweg and Daniel Crone.
The city of Nurnberg had already compiled a detailed list of ideas and regulations which were given to all participating teams. The blue lighting should be in accordance with the colour and intensity of last year but it should also be included in an architectural concept. Not only should the installation be attractive for the public, but it should also have the ability to be used as a marketing tool for use in other situations, such as the illumination of museum entrances. The only negative aspect was that the funding was severely reduced because of budget cuts by the city.
The first concept included an elegant steel cable construction with around 50,000 lamps, which were encased in blue plastic shells. After receiving the first bids it was clear to the planning team that the costs of such a project were higher than the original projections and the concept had to be changed to meet the budget. It took many weeks of changes, prototypes, material tests and company visits before the concept was perfected. This included three 5 metre tall rings constructed from aluminum pipe with a diameter of 1 x 13.5m and 2 x 11.8m which were to be positioned on the main marketplace in the city. Each of the three rings had 400 'pixels' which could be individually controlled to produce graphic and text. In addition to the main displays on the marketplace were 22 smaller 'walls' to be placed in front of each museum entrance. Each of these installations measured 2.5 x 2.5m and had 25 pixels. Although each display was smaller it was possible to reproduce a letter of the alphabet to spell out 'Blue Night - Linie 2003'.
After receiving the first bids from various lighting manufacturers it was evident that the original planned lamps were going to be too expensive. A substitute needed to be found and this is how the first 'pixel' was born. This system also proved to be cheaper than the factory-made light sources. The backbone of the system is aptly named a 'Techniktrager', which, loosely translated, means "carrier of technology". It consist of a 3mm thick piece of FOREX - classic hard foam plastic that was not only light as well as stable but it also a had a fire classification of B1. The material was transformed using a CNC cutter so that a standard E27 light socket could be inserted.
Due to the possibility of rain, each of the light sockets was equipped with a seal. In addition to this each light had its own cable cut to a specific length.
The pixels were only actually ready when each of the Techniktragers were fitted with two blue PVC shells. The shells were created with a vacuum process and had 'Blaue Nacht' imprinted in the plastic. A standard forty-watt Osram lamp served as the light source to complete the 'Blaue Nacht Pixel'.
Another solution had to be found in controlling the pixels due to the fact that 1200 DMX capable dimmer channels were required. Each channel needed a maximum capacity of 40 watts but standard dimmers are usually set up for around 2000. They are also much larger and require much more space. A new system had to be developed and produced for the event.
Only the main controls could be completed with standard products. Each of the rings was controlled using a standard PC with e:cue software which allows the transformation of simple text or graphics. This information could then been sent over the wireless LAN from an office in the second floor of city hall. The use of a hard-wired system was considered too risky due to the large number of people that could trip on the cables.
The construction team consisted of professional stage builders, electricians, and architecture students from the University of Applied Sciences of Cologne and apprentices in event management from the city of Cologne. The team was tasked with many unforeseen obstacles and due to a small communication problem the construction was in jeopardy. The main market square, which was to be used as the construction area, was filled with traders and customers and it had been not taken into consideration that this could pose a problem. After a quick crisis meeting with the city it was agreed that the rings could be put together on an adjacent lot and, after closing the market square at 6pm, they could be lifted into place with a heavy-duty crane. Each of the ring constructions weighed about one tonne.
The dress rehearsal was planned for the night prior to the event because the lights could not be clearly seen during the day. At this time the pixels were all installed but the cables were not connected. With over half a tonne of cabling the time allotted for the wiring was a little too optimistic. The construction was only able to be completed just before the event was to begin. No one really knew if the system was even going to function properly. At around dusk the nerves of the production team were already frayed but, as the music began and the first messages could be seen, all of the team members were relieved. Only two of the 1800 pixels were not functioning properly.
In addition to the text messages that were received over the web site www.linie03.de, the public was also able to influence the design of displays direct on the market square. The "Blue People" (acting students from the acting school Arturo in Cologne) were inside each of the three rings. They had developed their own "blue language" to use in interaction with the public. The guest could then fill out cards which would then be given directly into the computer so that the messages could be seen by all.
Antonius Quodt and Prof. Jochen Siegemund have created a large, interactive medium for an event with over 130,000 delighted guests. The only question is how are they going to out do themselves next year? The system is complete and can be further developed. The need for transparent plastics with the correct fire classification for use in interior locations is definitely apparent. The 40-watt lamps will also be traded in for RGB diodes. Antonius Quodt answered the question about the artistic intent when he said, "I am not an artist, but maybe a light artist would be more fitting."
technical information
Lighting Design: Antonius Quodt & Professor Jochen Siegemund
Lighting Solutions: 3 x PC with e:cue programmer software; 3 x e:cue enode512 with W-LAN connection; 45 x DMX dimmer (25 channels, 60W/channel); 1800 x special construction lightbody 'Blue Night'
Lamps: Osram E27 40W
Rigging: Showtec GmbH
information: www.lightlife.de