Giant rotating kaleidoscopes are casting a rainbow glow for the holidays in two North American capital cities this month. Prismatica, a public art installation by RAW, has landed on the banks of the Potomac River in Georgetown, Washington D.C. as part of Georgetown GLOW. The same light-bending exhibit has simultaneously been installed on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as part of the Christmas Lights Across Canada Season.
Prismatica
Landed on the banks the Potomac River in Georgetown and at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Prismatica is a participatory installation comprising 25 pivoting prisms more than two metres tall.
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- 22 December 2016
- Georgetown, Ottawa
Prismatica is a participatory installation comprising 25 pivoting prisms more than two metres tall. Each one is made of panels covered with a dichroic film that reflects the colours of the rainbow, varying with the light source and viewing angle. Each prism is mounted on a base containing a projector that gives the installation a new dimension after nightfall. The rotation of the prisms triggers variable-intensity bell music. After sunset, the enormous interactive kaleidoscope’s illusory effects reach a crescendo.
“Prismatica was created to be fun, immersive and playful. We want people to forget about the cold and to get out and enjoy their respective cities in a new light,” adds Pierre-Alexandre Le Lay, one of Prismatica’s designers and architect at RAW.
Prismatica
Program: installation
Design: Raw
until 1 January 2017
Waterfront Park, Georgetown
until 7 January 2017
Parliament Hill, Ottawa