By UK/Indonesia 2016-18 team

12 September 2018 - 19:50

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Block of ice with light shining through it

I’ve made a laser sculpture that hits the ice…it will make a really beautiful effect.

Bagus Pandega

Indonesian and UK artists are inviting us to explore our relationship to water in an installation where technology and magic become indistinguishable.

Inside a 100 year old reservoir, originally used to provide two million gallons of water to the people of Liverpool, England you will find interactive technologies, soundscapes, lasers and ice sculptures.

Water becomes more than just what we use to drink or wash our hands with, they have reimagined it and the result is spectacular.

Meet some of the artists behind the collaboration:

Etza Meisyara outside Toxteth reservoir
Etza Meisyara: Aurora is a multidisciplinary project. It involves sound artists, light artists, installation artists...and we’ve collaborated together to work out how these disciplines can come together. I’ve worked with Invisible Flock before...we talked about how we could have a collaboration together and I’m very excited about how it’s all going!
Inside Toxteth reservoir
Careful planning is needed to create an installation of this size. The lights and water need to be tested multiple times before opening up to the public.
Bagus the artist
Bagus Pandega: It’s been a new experience, communicating in English and understanding each other's needs. In the UK human power is really expensive. We have to minimise the man power and maximise everything we have. I will share the process with artists when I get back to Indonesia.
Inside the Toxteth reservoir
Testing how the light works within the ice.
Auroa team outside Toxteth reservoir.
A group shot of some of the Aurora team during set up, including: Ben Eaton, Catherine Baxendale, Klavs Kurpnieks, Miebi Sikoki, Rudi Nurhadi, Abshar Platisza, Bagus Pandega, Etza Meisyara, James Hamilton and Simon Fletcher. Also involved but not featured in this picture: Victoria Pratt, Babitha George & Romit Raj and Azusa Ono.

We couldn’t imagine making projects without Digital Nativ…we’d like to scope out how a project like this could have another life.

Ben Eaton, Invisible Flock

I have worked with Invisible Flock several times, this is one of the most ambitious projects we have worked one, but it doesn’t feel stressful, you feel like you’re working with family.

We’ve used a blend of professional high grade equipment and stuff we’ve made ourselves.

Miebi Sikoki, Digital Nativ 

Aurora is co-commissioned by FACT (Foundation for Art & Creative Technology) and Invisible Flock in partnership with Liverpool City Council and Dingle 2000. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and British Council.

Visit Aurora in the UK between 21 September and 7 October.
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