A sensory overload of colour, shapes and cavernous tunnels, Katena Luminarium by Architects of Air will take up residency at Bunjil Place from 27 September 2019.
This inflatable walk-in installation designed by artistic director Alan Parkinson will transport visitors to a world of resplendent light. The structure to be installed at Bunjil Place is Katena. Its name comes from the catenary curve, which is the shape of a chain suspended, inspired by Gaudi’s design for Sagrada Familia using suspended chains.
Visitors first enter the airlock, leading them to dodecahedral domes where over 100 catenary curves can be explored. The intricate main dome, has been created with an intricate fine mesh which defines the shape and over 200 colour highlights, swirling upwards to a green finial.
Visitors will find themselves in a space which indulges all their senses as they explore every inch of this spectacular intervention into the urban environment. They will be encouraged to sit down, relax and take in the calming and energising effect of the ambient space. It is suitable for all ages and accessible for people with disabilities.
Nottingham-based luminaria company Architects of Air have been touring since 1992 and have built 21 structures, visited over 40 countries and produced over 600 exhibitions, from Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum to the Sydney Opera House.
“I design luminaria because I want to share my sense of wonder at the phenomenon of light,” says Alan Parkinson. “A luminarium provides the frame for an encounter with a light whose surprising and simple intensity cuts through conditioned perception.”
Alan Parkinson discovered the world of inflatables by accident in 1982. He was working as a minibus driver for a community project which provided work in the community for criminal offenders. One of the projects which Alan supervised was the building of a large bouncy airbed for a play session designed for people in need.
Fast forward a few years and Alan had developed the skills to design structures with the plastic medium. Alan established Architects of Air in 1992 to build and tour his luminarium designs. Alan’s inspirations for the installations draws from architectural and geometric structures such as gothic cathedrals and Islamic architecture designed by architect innovators Gaudi, Frei Otto and Buckminster Fuller.
Katena Luminarium – Architects of Air
Bunjil Place Plaza, Narre Warren
Dates: 27 September – 6 October 2019
Entry fees apply
Information and Bookings: www.bunjilplace.com.au
Image: Katena Luminarium – photo by Loewen photography