He’e Nalu – Vivid Sydney 

He’e nalu is inspired by the art of surfing and delivers to all who experience it, the joyous sensation of riding a wave. The name of this mesmeric artwork derives from the Hawaiian word for the revered art of surfing, he’e nalu, which in English translates evocatively as ‘wave sliding’.

The installation is formed by two walls of light-filled columns that create a passageway washed in changing shades of blue and orange, reflecting the colours of the ocean at different times of the day. Coastal sounds are bounced from wall to wall, creating the enclosed sense of a wave tunnel.

As visitors move through the passageway they progress along a wave of light and sound, at times it seems to travel towards them — at others it rolls away.

This artwork reminds us that waves, both visible and invisible, are everywhere in nature.

 “When people walk through the installation, they are truly immersed in the sounds of the ocean, gradually culminating to the sensation of plunging into waves,” explained Dautant. “We wanted He’e Nalu to be an analogy for how light and sound travel, reminding spectators that visible and invisible waves are everywhere in nature.” 

Audio-visual immersion 

In order to cocoon spectators in a wave tunnel, Dautant and Heshmati looked for a reliable audio solution that complemented the visual component of their masterpiece.  

“The ultimate goal was to immerse spectators from both sides with coastal sounds on either side,” said Dautant. “We had created a sound file with two specific sounds: the first of the calm ocean, with some ambient bird sounds in the background; and the second was of a wave gradually building, crashing and submerging the senses.” 

As a result, the designers required a reliable, high-definition solution that could be easily and invisibly integrated within an art installation. In addition, they required it to be wireless, have the ability to overcome interference, and was compatible with the lighting arrangement and control system.  

When in the design phase of He’e Nalu, Dautant selected Crestron as the best partner for the project and was astounded by the immediate support provided by the team, despite the fast two-month development deadline. 

“The Crestron team in the US and Australia immediately asked us, ‘What do you need? We can make it happen!’,” said Dautant. “They really helped us bring all the conceptual aspects of our design into technical reality, rapidly.” 

Built within the base of the light columns are waterproof wireless Crestron speakers and amplifiers, often used in residential outdoor settings, to provide the sensory sensation of being washed away by waves. With four speakers on each side, spectators are immersed in an audio-visual experience. 

“We conducted a test with Crestron who sent us a speaker and amplifier as we were worried about the sound of the crashing waves being drowned out by all the foot traffic and other installations in the vicinity. However, when we first heard the sound, we thought ‘this is perfect’,” explained Heshmati.  

A convergence of technology and art 

The sound element of the installation works through a lighting controller which delivers data to the lights and the sounds to the Crestron amplifier, which in turns sends signals to the waterproof Crestron speakers.  

“The resulting symphony of light and sound results in a piece which is very present and almost hypnotic,” said Heshmati. 

“On the first night, it was so exciting to see everyone take photos and videos of the installation,” said Heshmati. “It was fantastic to see kids mesmerized by the magic of the installation and watching the atmosphere change as people waited for the crescendo of the waves to crash. We actually saw people hold their breaths, and this truly could not have been done without Crestron’s excellent audio solution.” 

Artists:

Unplugged: Golsana Heshmati (Iran) / Maria Dautant (Venezuela)

Collaborators: Jeremy Sparks (Australia) / Morgan Sheehy (Ireland) / Michael Sheehy (Ireland) / Gabriel Alvarez (Venezuela)

Technology list He’e Nalu:

·       1 Amplifier AMP 2100 

·       6 AIR LS6T-BRZ-T speakers