International Year of Light Off to a Bright Start with SGM

	International Year of Light

The World Heritage Center, UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, was bathed in light from SGM for the two nights of the opening ceremony of the International Year of Light.

Finnish lighting artist and designer Kari Kola prepared a full concept design including light, video, and music for a spectacular display at the iconic Fontenoy building during the ceremony. This launched an initiative intended to raise global awareness about the importance of light for the future and for the development of society. 1,500 people attended this ceremony including leading diplomats, scientific societies, and technology platforms from around the world for a number of lectures.

For Kola's installation, titled "Light Is Here," no fewer than 130 SGM P-5 wash lights and 14 G-Spot moving heads were deployed together with another 70 LED-based fixtures and 12 video projectors. "I wanted to reflect the most powerful elements of natural light, Aurora Borealis (Northern light) and sunrise, bringing in the North and the nature to the opening ceremony," Kola explains.

The 360-degree installation thus swathed the building in blues and greens contrasting the warm colors of the sunrise and accompanied by music composed by the designer himself. The project itself presented a comprehensive challenge, in which Kola was faced with a tight timetable as well a monumental building.

In his abstract light creation, the P-5 LED wash light took the leading role, spiced up with elements from the G-Spot moving head. "The purpose was to break the surface with gobo animation and video content," he says, adding how impressed he was with the impact created by the SGM luminaires. "Everything had to be IP65 rated, and I needed lots of power and a good saturation of colors, so these units were perfect for the job."

The smoothness of colors and dimming, together with the powerful output of the SGM fixtures, won Kola over in his selection of the lighting equipment; having completed the project he is left with a beautiful piece of work that has received nothing but positive comments.

This could just be the beginning of Kola's relationship with SGM. "I aim to work with the best units there are, so I expect to be using SGM products again," he reveals. "There may be some really nice projects coming up in the near future."