E/T/C London Creates new 'Europa' for Rheinpartie Festival of Light
Date uploaded: October 19, 2009
E/T/C London's Ross Ashton was invited to create a video projection art work on the Germania statue located in the Niederwald Landscape Park, near Rüdesheim am Rhein, Hesse, Germany, as part of the 2009 Rheinpartie Festival of Light.
Ashton's carefully crafted mix of colour and precision lighting transformed the imposing 38 metre tall monument, built to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire after the Franco Prussian war in 1883, into a symbol of European peace and harmony.
The essence of Ashton's concept was to deconstruct a symbol of past nationalism, in the process creating an unique, transient and beautiful piece of visual art that represented the positivity, the future and way forward for all of Europe.
Germania's robes were delicately highlighted in blue and yellow to represent Europe, and the two smaller angel statures lower down - personifying war and peace - were also bathed in blue and gold. In the seven minute rolling projection show, their wings were animated to flicker, so they appeared to be in a hovering pose.
Onto the main structure just below the 10.5 metre Europa, the flags and crests of all the EU member states were unfurled in a gentle dissolve.
The steps at the base of the monument became a tumbling waterfall - metaphor for all the rivers of Europe flowing together united, spreading, growing and living.
Ashton commissioned Karen Monid to compose a special soundscape to accompany the installation. This represented the feel and movement of water, the idea of fluidity and people without boundaries, making the connection between the freedom to embrace the cultures and philosophies of others, and the motion of rivers, which see no borders.
The Festival also contained many other light and media works from leading international artists, which stretched along the length and breadth of the Unesco World Heritage site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
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