Light Bearers – Control an army of fireflies with your fingertips

Local installation artist Mathieu Le Sourd, a.k.a. Maotik, together with multidisciplinary artist Etienne Paquette, designed Light Bearers, a swarm of 2,500 light bulbs activated by an invisible, hand-guided laser.

The artists used standard industrial materials such as light bulbs and metal rods to create about 2,500 reflective plants. Each and every one of them was handcrafted and set to evoke an organic design.
Visitors then come to the main field and manipulate light beams with IR sensors, causing the sound and visual effects, recreating the magic of firefly clouds all around them. Two visitors can interact at the same time, by placing their hands on top of the wooden interactive station.

Each finger becomes a light beam – a firefly. The result is a sculptural interactive and generative environment, a mix of organic design, high tech and craft.

All images belonging to Adrien Williams

Video credit: MAOTIK