LED Linear luminaires normally fascinate due to their formal reductionism but they make it also possible to form completely new design elements. Liz West worked with our luminaires and created a colorful light installation which was recently revealed.
 

The light installation is named “Sevenfold” and illuminated by luminaire “XOOTUBE”. (Photo by Jim Stephenson)

 

When “The Met” opened its doors again after a refurbishment in December 2016 there was a newly commissioned art installation by internationally renowned artist Liz West at the centre of the historical building. The installation, named Sevenfold, is a site-responsive piece, injecting vibrant colours and a sense of illusion into the magnificent entrance and staircase of the Victorian neo-classical building. The linear round LED luminaire XOOTUBE by LED Linear was used in the installation. Normally a reduced and elegant luminaire for reception areas, libraries and living rooms, it was used in a completely new application here and now illuminates a colorful piece of art.

 

Light is essential to Liz’s work. Sevenfold takes its reference from Newton’s rainbow sequence of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Seven (six prisms in the main installation plus one mini prism above the reception desk) individual and vast prisms have been created that use mirrors to further radiate colour and reflect elements of the beautifully restored architecture. As visitors ascend the staircase they find themselves at eye level with the artwork, giving the chance to marvel Sevenfold at its luminous best.

Sevenfold takes its reference from Newton’s rainbow sequence.

 (Photo by Jim Stephenson)

 

About her work with LED Linear Liz West says, "The concept for Sevenfold, my first ever permanent installation work at “The Met” in Bury, relied on finding an elegant, minimal, functional yet durable lighting solution. XOOTUBE was ideal as it fit perfectly into the design for my artwork. LED Linear's team were brilliant at giving advice and helping me re-appropriate products to make a bespoke art installation. The slick aesthetic, adaptability, functionality, friendly approach and understanding of what artists require to realize their ideas allowed my fabricators and I to integrate the lamps seamlessly into this work. As an artist, it is very important for me to work with people or a company who understand my way of thinking and can see beyond the pure function of a lamp or lighting source. For my work, I am using seemingly regular lamps to make permanent, sustainable, hopefully memorable and experiential art installations for the public to enjoy for years to come. By working with LED Linear I am guaranteed that my vision and need for quality is achieved."

 

XOOTUBE - an elegant, minimal and functional lighting solution

 

David Agnew, artistic director of The Met, says, “We wanted to celebrate the light and sense of rejuvenation that the restoration of this stunning building has opened up and embraced. The vision of this project is to use the past to illuminate the future, which Liz’s piece perfectly embodies. As people enter the building they’ll be able to enjoy the visual spectacle of Sevenfold as it radiates against the vastness and intricacy of the Victorian plasterwork.”

The entrance area of “The Met” illuminated by the Sevenfold installation, Photo by Jim Stephenson

 

About the Artist:

Liz West lives and works in Manchester, having studied at Glasgow School of Art. Her commissions and residencies have included: Bristol Biennial; Natural History Museum, London; Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces, Manchester; Royal British Society of Sculptors, London; National Media Museum, Bradford. In 2016 Liz was shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize and the Lighting Design Awards.