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artandsciencejournal:

Caitlind Brown: CLOUD

How many lightbulbs does it take to captivate the masses?

Apparently, six-thousand! 

Caitlind Brown’s site-specific piece, CLOUD, was one of the highlights of last weekend’s Nuit Blanche festival in Calgary. Nuit Blanche is a one night art extravaganza that transforms a city into a collective art experience. These types of festivals have been springing up everywhere as of late, with festivals premiering in Calgary and Ottawa this year. 

CLOUD is an engaging aesthetic experience centered on audience participation. Its strived-for flickering aesthetic is achieved by members of its audience pulling on metal pull-strings to illuminate various clusters of bulbs. Many of the bulbs, however, are burnt out. 

This work is hypnotically experiential, but also an interesting investigation into a creative use for recycled material as Brown gathered donations of used lightbulbs in preparation for CLOUD. With this in mind, not only are her viewers able to illuminate the sky with the finished product, but were also part of a larger, collaborative effort in gathering its materials. 

For more information about Brown’s process leading up to CLOUD’s premiere at Nuit Blanche Calgary, check out her blog here. 

In addition, Ottawa will be hosting its own Nuit Blanche festival this Saturday night! For more information, check out the official Nuit Blanche Ottawa website. 

- Victoria Nolte