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Universal Light #6

### Hi Martin and Kate, first things first, thanks so much for joining us for our Universal Light article. Before diving into your work in the art space, please tell us a bit about yourself and how you started your journey as a light artist duo.

#### Martin

For the longest time, I have always loved lights and technology, which is why I started in the entertainment business doing events and theatre, which ultimately paved the way for me into the building industry. However, after a while, I realised that I truly wanted to delve further into this profession, so I did my master's in illumination design; from there, I started working in the built environment and officially pursued the engineering path as an Illumination Engineer, which led to lighting, lighting design and light art. 

#### Kathryn

Mine is a little bit different. I have experience in numerous industries but have been a primary school teacher for about 12-13 years. I have always enjoyed art and love lighting, but I would credit Martin for my start in the world of light arts. I would not have had the light art experience if we had never met.

#### Martin

We each have our strengths, and we complement each others' perspectives and skill sets. As a team, I focus on the technical side, and Kate focuses on aesthetics. I appreciate her creativity as she ensures that our sculptures are visually impressive, enjoyable, and comprehensible for everyone.

### We saw that you had shared many of your wonderful works on your Instagram page, kateandmarty, and became curious about how you both started as artists. Was it a sudden decision or a seemingly natural transition from your everyday life?

#### Martin

We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Vivid Sydney started around 2009; the first year we got involved was 2011. They had a public call for expression of interest for everyone. At the time, I had a really techie silly idea, and Kate had a much better one. And we thought we'd make a friendly competition out of it as we both submitted it just to see who would win. And, of course, Kate's idea got picked, and that's how our first work for Vivid Sydney, called Immersion, came to life. 

From there, we kept going, and now, here we are!

### Can you tell us about that first experience of creating lighting art? Because from what we notice, Immersion was also a piece of work that seems very "kateandmarty" – it looked so fun and exciting.

#### Kathryn

The idea for Immersion came when we were at a restaurant surrounded by kids running around and having fun in a water fountain at a shopping centre. The in-ground jets were shooting water up in the air, and we thought it would be an awesome lighting installation. So we workshopped different ways to recreate that experience through lighting.

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We ended up creating a circular sculpture with vertical 'happy tubes' that animated with water patterns of blues and greens. There's also a camera system to add an element of interactive playfulness. So if the audience stands before it, they can see their movements in the tubes. 

#### Martin

The fun thing about Immersion is that it's very straightforward in how the audience can observe or interact with it. Kids already know how to play with them as there are no rules to play with water fountains. So essentially, Immersion embodies that nature as it became a playground for children, adults, and families to run around, have fun and interact freely with the art.

### Many of your works embody that element of fun, dynamic, colourful, and just pure "playful". Would you say that is the "signature touch" of interactive art, specifically your art?

#### Martin

For us, interactive light art is fun and accessible, not only physically accessible but like accessible in the understanding of it. It's robust and legible. It's almost the opposite of abstract art, where the audiences aren't just observers but participants who can experience the cause and effect of the art.

#### Kathryn
Oftentimes, we find that it's easier to create accessible light art through inspiration from nature. In many of our installations, we focus on nature because there is an added sense of familiarity. Bio-mimicry is the main theme that we explored in Sea Grass, which we made for Vivid Sydney in 2012. Displayed in the Circular Quay area, the artwork, much like its name, reflects the seascape of its surroundings with an almost glistening quality to the visual effect. It is an interactive pathway created from 30,000 metres of fibre-optic cabling powered by energy-efficient LED technology. With motion sensors along the path, it captures the audience's movements and triggers colour changes, such as various pastels and saturated colours.

Over the years, our 'signature touch' changes with our experience, but with whatever we do, we strive to create something interactive, accessible and visually appealing.

### Let's talk about interactive light art. As you mentioned previously, interactivity makes the audience a participant instead of an observer. What do you think makes up that interactivity?

#### Martin

Using technology to create interactivity in light art can be a great way to engage people and draw them into the experience. With advancements in lighting and control systems, creating stunning lighting installations that can sense and respond to people's actions is easier than ever. 

Embedded technology can help the artwork to build genuine interactivity, which fosters a sense of community and group participation. For example, for Drum Circle, we approached the work with a group participation mentality. It's mostly inspired by the idea that everyone's got a beat in them. With this work, we saw everyone interact with it, from kids to executives in suits who were having fun, smacking it as hard as possible. This one was probably our first time making our own electronics because there was no system we could use to do the effect of "sound to light." And by actually making it ourselves, we had a lot more control over it because we wanted it all to be self-contained, with the drum becoming the waterproofing element for the electronics. This was also the first time we got interviewed on TV, where we were publicly identified as light artists.





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Even seemingly static installations can be made interactive using technology. For instance, Luminous Flight was initially programmed to only interact with the people directly underneath it, meaning the light effect will follow their movements if they walk through the path. However, we ended up reprogramming the system to trigger a light show that went on for about a minute and then faded out before it went back to its home state. So as they travel through the course, they are embraced by a light performance, which delivers a more engaging and dynamic experience.

In many ways, technology can play a crucial role in creating interactivity and drawing people into the experience. With the right tools and approach, artists can create truly immersive and engaging experiences that people will remember for years.

#### Kathryn

Having said that, interactivity can be something other than technology-led; it could be human-led interactivity.

One way is by minimising or eliminating the use of technology and allowing people to decide how to interact with the installation based on their perception of the illumination sequence and effects. This approach puts the power in the hands of the audience and allows for a more organic and somewhat unpredictable experience for us, the creators. 

We applied this approach to one of our installations, "Don't Step On The Crack". We embedded colourful LED strips in the ground in a pattern that looked like cracked pavement. And that was it. It was plain and simple, and everyone had a different way of approaching it. Some were tiptoeing or hopping to avoid stepping on the cracks and made a game from their imagination with the art as the foundation. I think that this is just as effective in creating an interactive experience with advanced technology.


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#### Martin

In some cases, the sculpture is more important than the interactivity. It might not be the interaction we intended, but there is a sense of connection that was fun and exciting. We learn to embrace the unexpected shifts in interactivity that people create. Even if the original intention was not for a particular interaction, people might find ways to engage with the installation unexpectedly and creatively. 

In the case of "When the Fairies Come Out to Play," people thought the fairies were sound-activated and started screaming at the top of their lungs, causing a chain reaction of movements and laughter. This shows that sometimes the most engaging and memorable interactions can be the ones that are completely unplanned and spontaneous.

Kathryn and Martin Bevz’s Take on Interactive Light Art 

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### Knowing what you know now about interactivity and the values of interactive artwork, what's your creative process?

#### Martin

When it comes to our process, the first step is seeking inspiration, which can come from nature or from artists' briefs. However, it's worth noting that some ideas may not be picked, and that's okay. Once you have your inspiration, the planning process begins. During this stage, you'll need to immerse yourself in the project and engage in trial and error to ensure your installation works effectively. We often experiment with different shapes and designs to deliver the best final work. 

Then comes installation. Installing an interactive light project requires careful consideration of the site of the installation—for example, the height clearance if the structure is going to be suspended. With Luminous Flight, we had to ensure it was suspended at a certain height because it was an active walking way. Previously, we mentioned that we had to reprogram on the fly. Initially, they were meant to have a passive state when the laneway was empty, with a blue and calming vibe to them. As people walked underneath, the lighting effect was like a gust of wind and started animating, chasing and flashing. So that was the idea.


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#### Kathryn

But in reality, the installation was too high, and the range of our sensors couldn't reach everyone. So unfortunately, kids couldn't interact with it, but parents could wave their hands around, which would trigger a reaction. In the end, we found that the reprogrammed result worked better.

### It's interesting that you mentioned that sometimes the works and interactivities you end up with differ from those you intended. Do you and can you define successful interactivity when reflecting on a work?

#### Martin

With interactivity, a work could be an accidental success or accidental failure. For instance, Sea Grass, which involved some really beautiful fibre optics. The interactive bit was when you walked through it, and it changed colours, but so many people never made that association. So in terms of its interactivity, it was probably a failure. But it was immensely successful just because of how beautiful it was and how much people enjoyed it.

#### Kathryn

And for us, the piece should work with or without the interaction, and we are getting a lot better at it. But mostly, it is a learning curve, so sometimes, we have to put it out there and see how people use it because there are no instructions. You've got 7 seconds to grab someone's attention and for them to decide if they like it or not. So over the years, we've become committed to making art that people enjoy and can easily understand.

### So, Edition 7 is focused on "The Next Generation of Lighting", and as we're reaching the end of our article, we'd like to ask for your advice to those who might aspire or become light artists.

#### Martin

I would say embrace new technologies as they come along. I made a point about building our own electronics, but if I had embraced some things that were available to us, then the process might have been much quicker. So, it'd be a good start to embrace change and try new things. 


#### Kathryn

When creating art, especially interactive pieces, think of your audience. For example, creating artwork for a gallery is very different to creating something for a large public festival such as Vivid Sydney. And if you're short on ideas, look to nature, go for a walk because that's where we've come up with our best ideas. 

And take a sustainable approach and mindset to your work. With us, we reuse the things that go into building our sculptures. Nothing is just one-off and then thrown out, so wherever we can reuse, recycle, and repurpose, we're happier to invest more.


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