In daylight hours, the inner lights of each ring emit a soft glow of light, and mirror garlands sparkle as they move freely in the breeze. At dusk, vibrant programmed displays begin, using both the inner and outer lights, continuing until 2am. The entire scheme is programmable to create vastly different effects; precise shifts in colour and tempo can be created, to focus on one tree or to create a sequence or group effect, with over 80,000 000 possible combinations of effects per tree.
The Tree Rings installation is scalable, from a lighting effect on individual tree to the orchestration of a light show involving every tree along the entire avenue. Conceptually "the ring, a sign of union and completeness, becomes a symbol of unity between man and nature". ACT Lighting Design's inspiration comes from "respecting the tree as a living being", and so the scheme is shaped by a need to ensure that the trees are not damaged in any way by the dramatic lighting intervention.
ACT Lighting Design's innovative approach uses the latest LED technology, combined with "a highly artistic aesthetic and powerful simplicity", and Tree Rings will grace Paris's grandest avenue during the festive season until 2014.
Based in Brussels, ACT Lighting Design works across architectural, entertainment and art sectors.
The prestigious Champs-Elysées project is the latest ACT Lighting Design project and is headed up by principal designer Koert Vermeulen and artistic director Marcos Viñals Bassols. Comité Champs-Elysées, the organisation responsible for this famous avenue, launched an international competition to find a new design for the Christmas illuminations. Out of over 27 entries, ACT Lighting Design was selected to create their Tree Rings scheme.
(Jim Evans)
