Defined by innovation and an undercurrent of rich history, from our leading companies and cutting edge startups to our government and top tier colleges, Boston inspires. This photo series aims to capture it. Enjoy!
As part of MIT’s 150 year anniversary celebration, this weekend marked the culmination of its Festival of Art, Science & Technology (FAST) exhibition. The light show included exhibits that literally struck the Charles neon on Saturday and Sunday night. Enjoy these three fantastic photos which were taken by and credited to wolftone:
Susanne Seitinger: LightBridge
From the FAST website: “Almost 150 years ago, in 1916, MIT crossed the river from its original location in Boston’s Back Bay to Cambridge, taking up residence on the banks of the Charles. Since then, generations of students have trekked across the bridge, including Oliver Smoot and his fraternity brothers, who left their indelible mark along the way. LightBridge is a dynamic display symbolic of MIT’s historical and contemporary connections between people and places on both sides of the river. This participatory installation allows people to use a website to design their own interactive light effects in advance and then experience their designs on site on May 7 and 8.
The 10,000 pixel display is activated by sensors (proximity sensors, cameras, buttons, microphones, mobile phones) that respond to the movement and activities of viewers in the area. By combining sensors and programmable lighting, the project illustrates the potential for user-driven urban screens and new configurations of low-resolution displays that blur the boundaries between traditional city lighting and the responsive infrastructures of tomorrow.”
Liquid Archive
From the FAST website: “Liquid Archive, a floating, interactive artwork, imaginatively extends MIT’s Killian Court beyond Memorial Drive into the Charles River, to celebrate the Institute’s 150th anniversary. Consisting of an inflatable screen anchored to a floating platform, it provides a backdrop for dynamic projections. Visible from the banks of the Charles, an hour-long program will feature several original artist proposals conceived in 1972 as part of the Charles River Project, a series of environmental artworks conceived by the designers, artists and scientists associated with MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies. Liquid Archive will bring these projects to life and demonstrate MIT’s renewed commitment to creating an energy efficient environment and environmental art on a civic scale.”
Otto Piene: SKY Event
From the FAST website: “Rising above the Great Dome of MIT, immense inflatable stars soared over Killian Court on the evening of May 7 during FAST Light, the culminating event of the MIT150 Festival of Art, Science and Technology. The sculptures celebrated – and incorporated – the distinctive symbiosis among artists, scientists and engineers that emerged at MIT during the 1960s with the founding of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies and continues today throughout the Institute. This event began in the afternoon as the sculptures were arrayed on the ground and – with the help of a crew of students and alumni – started to inflate. The stars launched at dusk and were fully illuminated at 9:00 pm, floating overhead while members of the crew and the audience kept them tethered to the earth. This participatory event was a collaborative art process leading to luminous images against the canvas of the night sky.”
Visit the FAST website to learn more about the event and many other exhibitions, and check out Picture Boston’s set of photos from the weekend as well.
