Within the Full Colour Spectrum

With ‘Bass’ director and artist Steve McQueen created a monumental light and sound installation. The artwork filled the imposing interior of the Schaulager: a unique, precisely balanced space of light and sound. iart helped to optimise the challenging implementation of the light installation, planned the control systems and ensured smooth operation.

In developing the installation, Steve McQueen provided not only the live sound tracks recorded on site, which were played during the exhibition via large speakers suspended in the room, but also precise specifications for the light spectrum to be used in the exhibition space: the colour parameters and the duration of both the transition phases from one colour to the next and the entire cyclically repeating loop.

The artist's specifications regarding the lighting moods had to be implemented as precisely as possible. And in such a way that the more than 1,000 striking fluorescent tubes on the ceilings of the Schaulager (designed by Herzog & de Meuron) retained their appearance and visual power. Furthermore, it had to be ensured that the installation would run completely flawlessly throughout the exhibition period of several months.

‘Bass’ consists of two cycles: the sound composition lasts around three hours, while the light loop lasts around thirty minutes. During this time, the light passes through an expanded colour spectrum of seven spectral colours ranging from deep red to indigo. In order to be able to output these, a second LED strip had to be installed in parallel with each luminaire. A translucent tube spanned the luminaires to preserve their characteristic linear and compact shape.

The light and sound installation was controlled by a custom-built controller box. It could be easily switched on and off via a control panel. The complex technical installation was thus linked to an extremely simple operating procedure, ensuring flawless operation.

We are delighted that our creative engineering team was able to make such a decisive contribution to the successful implementation of this monumental work of art. This project is part of a long tradition of projects in which iart uses its technical expertise and aesthetic sensibility to help art come into its own.