Shine On at Bath Abbey, involving dynamic light projections and original musical compositions, is an experience to savour. Created by Luxmuralis, this is a collaboration between sculptor and artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper who together specialise in immersive fine art, light and sound installations.
Visitors enter in 15-minute slots following the cycle of the installation. Working within the Abbey’s flexible Nave seating, selected chairs are spaced out randomly. Some people choose to sit cross-legged in the Nave, taking advantage of the eco-friendly underfloor heating, or simply lie back taking it all in. The projections and audio come in two sections, the second with specific imagery of the architecture and windows of Bath Abbey. The scenes encompass rich tapestries of colour, majoring in majestic purples, blues and reds, spreading themselves over the Great East Window of the Abbey, which tells the story of Jesus; populating the fan-vaulted ceiling with its rib vaults; and animating the carved stone arches along the Nave. It is all-encompassing. We see kaleidoscopes of abstract colours, stars, Latin manuscripts and figures including St George, King Arthur and King Alfred. It is a way of connecting with the Abbey in a new way and a chance to slow your mind down while being enveloped by the ever-changing audio and images.
In Peter Walker’s words, “We like to say ‘we create the stained glass windows of our time’. By this we mean we’re bringing stories to life with light and colour in just the way that ecclesiastical windows used to do. This use of energetic, visual storytelling makes it really, really engaging, but is also really accessible.”
Shine On – Luxmuralis is at Bath Abbey until 26 October. Book your time slot here: bathboxoffice.org.uk