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Eye of London Captures Heart of the World

Meghan Easterly | August 1, 2012

The London Eye will become a work of art during the 2012 Summer Olympics as artist Dominic Harris conducts the mood of the people with interactive lighting.

Artist Dominic Harris, Director of Cinimod Studio in London works in the medium of light and interactive design.

London – As the world gathers to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, there will be one couple in Bonita Springs who will have their eyes on The London Eye. This iconic Ferris wheel on the Thames will be turned into an interactively controlled lighting installation by artist Dominic Harris. Harris is the Director of Cinimod Studio in London and also the son of Max and Dorota Harris who live in Bonita Springs.

Harris works in the medium of light and interactive design. His designs can be found throughout the world in both private collections and in very public spaces, such as the Peru National Football Stadium in Lima, Peru. There an interactive lighting system has been created that establishes a visual connection between the fans, their passions and the game. The lighting actually mirrors the mood of the crowd.

This interactivity between the viewer and the artwork is the soul of Harris’s work. For the Olympics he will actually install a “Mood Conductor” on the London Eye. This will enable the participants to use gestures to control the lighting on the wheel.

“The Mood Conductor is an interactive installation enabling a single user at a time to express their mood on an unforgettable architectural and visual scale,” Harris said. “It is the first time a large public landmark within London has been controlled directly by members of the public.”

The “performer” will be able to use his arms and hands to interact with the system, and he will also be able to use a more subtle movement to affect the lighting: his heartbeat.

EDF Energy commissioned Cinimod Studio to create a “Mood Conductor” for their London Eye. Using gestural control and their heart rate, participants can display their mood through the lighting on the EDF Energy London Eye. It is the first time such a large public landmark within London has been controlled directly by members of the public, and the installation is running live every night at 22.00 until 12 August 2012.

“The symbolism of the heart as an epicenter of felt emotion is not merely an artifact of mythology and early philosophical thinking,” Harris said. “Whilst there is no evidence of hearts actually skipping beats at the sight of a loved one, we can be certain that the beating of our hearts is inextricably linked to the way we feel.”

Depending on the mood of the user, the London Eye may appear to sparkle or recoil as the patterns of color, speed, brightness and scale mimic emotion.

Harris and his Cinimod Studio are synonymous with cutting edge interactive design. The popularity of his work world-wide keeps the artist busy not only creating ideas and developing the technology to follow through with the ideas, but also traveling throughout the world to install his artwork.

“I am most excited by my trip to Miami where I will be installing two very large interactive artworks in a home located on Key Biscayne,” Harris said.

The collector has acquired, among other artworks, Flutter. Flutter mimics the motion of butterfly flight. As the viewer moves along the 14-foot artwork, the butterflies respond to the viewer’s movement. Harris and his team will work to seamlessly integrate the artworks into the home.

“Traveling to Florida is always a pleasure as it is normally to see my parents,” Harris said. “But, to be there in the official capacity of ‘artist’ is fantastic too – whether I am there for the Art Basel show or for an artwork installation.”

Those wishing to see examples of Harris’s unique work can find a list of his installations on his web sites www.dominicharris.com or www.cinimodstudio.com.

While everyone will see his Mood Conductor on The London Eye during the Olympics, his artwork is best experienced in person, as the movements and feelings of the viewer are inherently part of the art.