Celestial Streams
Above Below Festival – Chiltern Hills, UK.
Above Below is an intimate and independent electronic music and arts festival, set within a secluded valley beneath the backdrop of the Chiltern Hills.
The three day event showcased a carefully curated lineup, talks and workshops, custom sound systems and art installations. It felt like a dream to be immersed in nature, in such a stunning location.
I had the opportunity to install a site-specific laser installation on a chalk stream in a previously untouched area of the site.
Celestial Streams by Day
Celestial Streams by Night
Concept
Chalk streams are rare and unique habitats found in the Chilterns landscape. In fact, there are only 283 chalk streams in the UK, and the UK accounts for around 85% of the global total. They are fed by groundwater in the chalk hills, resulting in intermittent flow. Chalk streams are home to a diverse range of wildlife and ecosystems, including threatened species like otters, water voles, and brown trout. Despite the rarity and value of chalk streams, these precious and unique freshwater ecosystems are at risk. Invertebrates, such as mayflies and demoiselles, thrive in chalk streams, with the banded demoiselle being a prominent species.The animals often spend most of their lives underwater, only emerging as flying adults for a few days or weeks in order to mate and start the whole cycle again. The demoiselle larvae go through 10 to 12 stages of metamorphosis between moults in the mud and plant roots.
I was deeply inspired by the Banded Demoiselle and Celestial Streams focuses on the textured details, delicate structures and the iridescent hues found within the demoiselle’s wings. The laser drawings are based around Voronoi Diagrams, a type of tessellation pattern.
