NOOR LIGHT FESTIVAL
CLIENT
YEAR
In January of 2021, CALIPER began developing Mitochondria: Powerhouses, a work by Ahmed Mater originally installed in Galeria Continua, San Giminiano and then adapted for the Noor Light Festival 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Commissioned by Riyadh City (RCRC) as a public arts event, the festival consisted of over 60 artworks in 12 locations throughout the city. The site-specific installation consists of a 2 million volt Tesla coil, capable of electrical discharges of up to 2m, surrounded by six sculptures produced by Factum Arte in fulgurite-vitrified sand that naturally forms when lightning hits the ground.
CALIPER, under guidance of the artist and Factum Arte has worked to ensure the installation is safe for outdoor and public display, calculating a safe perimeter distance of 6m around the Tesla Coil, localised earthing system for quick discharge of the current and detailed instructions for local operators.
Cables were installed in the fulgurite sculptures to attract the discharge of the Tesla, augmenting the effect of the coil itself vitrifying the sand and creating the sculptures. When installed they appear as though they are emerging from the ground in the middle of KAFD, the central business district of Riyadh where the installation took place. Preparations for the project were made in Spain at Factum Arte, and the piece installed on site by Quinner Baird and Carlos Sanjuan, with help from Ahmed Mater Studio and Balich Worldwide Shows. The project was certified and signed by former CALIPER engineer Carlos Sanjuan and presented to the school of engineering in Madrid for certification.
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