BIOLUMEN
by Radha Chaddah x RAW Design
Toronto-based visual artist and scientist Radha Chaddah and architectural firm RAW Design present Biolumen, an immersive experience with changing light, texture, and sound. Biolumen features ten large luminescent structures where art, science, and nature merge. Inspired by deep-sea Radiolaria, “Biolumen” represents resilience and beauty in harsh environments.
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square, 1 Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario
When: March 1 to April 1, 2024
Hours: Daily from noon to 10pm
Admission: Free
AT NIGHT
The sculptures become luminescent and glow from within and project colorful beams of light through their perforated skeletons, creating a dazzling display on the surrounding environment. Immerse yourself in this light and explore the changing patterns produced by interacting with the sculptures.
DAYTIME
The differentially coloured inner and outer layers of the Radiolaria sculptures reveal a different way for you to experience sounds and sights of each of these sculptural creatures.
Accompanying sounds are an original score that emit from within the sculptures. It is an ambient sonic landscape that evolves over time and with interaction.
Biolumen, by Radha Chaddah x RAW Design, is a co-production of Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, the City of Mississauga and Culture Shawinigan, with distribution by QDSinternational.
Experience Biolumen
Reconnect with the natural world through an immersive experience where light, sound and texture combine to create a space where art, science and nature merge.
“Biolumen was inspired by Radiolaria, which are tiny single celled animals. Their name means ‘small sunbeam.’ Ocean floors are thick with their astonishingly beautiful skeletons, made from silica. Radiolaria live symbiotically with algae who feed them with sugars they make from sunlight. Some Radiolaria are bioluminescent because of the bacteria that live within them. The visual and sonic harmonies created by this installation are a tribute to symbiosis, and the ideal of humans living in balance with nature.”
- Radha Chaddah, BIOLUMEN’s creator, visual artist and scientist
Look: The Radiolaria sculptures glow at night, projecting colourful beams and creating an illuminated ocean. During the day, their layers of colours are revealed in natural light.
Listen: The sculptures emit a gentle, evolving melody that harmonizes with the environment.
Touch: The texture of these sculptures encourages tactile exploration and a connection with nature.
Share: Visitors can share their Biolumen by Radha Chaddah x RAW Design experiences on social media. Use @ydsquare and #ydsbiolumen for a chance to be featured on Yonge-Dundas Square's social channels and onsite digital screens.
Credits
Creation: Radha Chaddah
Design: RAW Design
Fabrication: Jack World
Sound design: Jaclyn Blumas
Co-production: Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, The city of Mississauga and Culture Shawinigan
Distribution: Quartier des Spectacles International
Executive Production, Touring: Jack World
About the Artist
Radha Chaddah is a Toronto based visual artist and scientist. Her work examines the interconnectedness of our material reality from the micro to the macro. In her studio she designs large scale projected light installations for public exhibition. She prepares samples and shoots much of this imagery in laboratories at the University of Toronto. There, Radha uses the tools of research science to grow cells using embedded fluorescent light-emitting molecules. She examines these cells and myriad other fragments of nature using a variety of imaging systems from light-based laser confocal fluorescent microscopes to non-light based ultra-high magnification scanning electron systems.
🔗 radhachaddah.com | @radha.chaddah
About RAW Design
RAW Design is a Toronto-based architectural firm that works on a wide variety of scales and project types. From community greenhouses to large residential developments, not to mention outdoor interactive installations, its team of 60 architects and designers takes a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. For Biolumen, the firm assembled a team of professionals from several fields (applied science, technology, art and architecture). More info.
About Quartier des Spectacles / Quartier Spectacles Partnership
The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s greatest concentration and variety of cultural venues. The district is the year-round host to countless festivals and events, many of which include free outdoor shows and activities. The Quartier hosts innovative urban installations featuring cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments and interactive digital spaces. Year round, the Quartier presents artistic video projections on building façades. The Quartier des Spectacles is also a showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.
The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 80 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership is supported by the Ville de Montréal. More info.
