Simeon Nelson : Rob Godman : Nick Rothwell
Plenum is a computer generated architectural light projection conceived and developed by the internationally acclaimed artist Simeon Nelson in collaboration with myself and computer scientist/artist Nick Rothwell. The team received major EU funding (Artichoke Trust). Plenum has been shown at three world-leading international light festivals in the UK and Europe, has been projected onto the world’s most significant buildings (including the iconic King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and Tallinna Raekoda, Tallinn, Estonia) and inside the KickArts Contemporary Arts Gallery, Cairns, Australia.
Intended as a large-scale public-art work, it runs on a 15-minute loop whereby the light and sound are algorithmically controlled. This means that no two iterations are the same although the macro-structure of the work remains intact. There is a perception of ‘real-time’, with a repeat viewing experience providing an opportunity for the audience to gain a new perspective on the work each time it is witnessed. Plenum makes use of highly original and innovative technology. The visual and sonic components are built using custom made code (using Field and Max) developed by the team. The code employs physics models relating to gravity and attraction, every point affects and is affected by every other point. Plenum is entirely customisable for different buildings rendering each performance uniquely site-specific. The sound component features an array of 3D spatialisation techniques to enhance the viewers experience and contrast with the unashamedly 2D video projection.
The making of Plenum
Plenum is based on the illustrations of crystal lattices found in classic undergraduate physics textbooks. The projection cycle begins as a perfect grid of dots arranged in a crystalline matrix, new dots begin to appear forcing the surrounding dots apart so that after 15 minutes the entire grid is pulsating, swaying and liquefying with particles popping in and out of existence. The top layers of the grid begin to disintegrate into a gaseous state shooting off in seemingly random trajectories so that the projection runs a full sequence from a frozen state of absolute order through increasing entropy to a state of complete chaos.
