Babies from Salford enjoyed one of the highlights of their short little lives last week when they were given exclusive access to the interactive digital light sculpture, Cathedral of Mirrors, at The Quays in Salford.
The youngsters were part of a 20-strong group that were invited to the digital art festival – LIGHTWAVES 2015 – and treated to a unique and magical sensory experience.
During the hour long experience, the babies were in awe of Cathedral of Mirrors by Danish artist Mads Christensen, which provided them with a dazzling interactive artwork that lit up in response to the movement of the group.
The group visit to LIGHTWAVES 2015 was organised by Baby Moves, an early years physical development, sound and sensory programme especially developed for babies from birth to three years.
Its programmes, now being used around the UK, are based on the latest neurological research into how babies and toddlers grow and develop.
Co-founder of Baby Moves Olwyn Maurer says: “We’re so thrilled that our Baby Moves babies have been invited to visit and interact with Lightwaves 2015. Much of the work we do with our babies is sensory – this light installation will not only encourage babies with their visual perception, but also will be very stimulating, encouraging them to explore the world around them.”
The LIGHTWAVES 2015 digital light festival is a free event running at The Quays from Saturday 12 December to Sunday 27 December.
As well as Mads Christensen’s Cathedral of Mirrors, LIGHTWAVES 2015 also features works from Iceland based artist Marcos Zotes and Australian artist Amanda Parer.
On waterfront itself, five giant inflatable rabbits by Amanda Parer have made their latest stop on a world tour which has included London, Gothenburg, Paris and Boston.
Lit from within and two storeys high, Parer’s installation cleverly embraces both the light, fun-filled side of the rabbits, and delivers an important message about the impact of humans on the environment.
Lucy Dusgate, programme producer at Quays Culture, comments: “We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the babies and it was lovely to see their faces light up at the sight of Cathedral of Mirrors. The installation is pretty majestic to the average adult so as you can imagine, the youngsters were pretty awestruck.”
Photo: Baby Mattia with mum Claudia Castelli
