Photo credit: Noor Riyadh
Inner waves is an interactive sculptural instrument that allows the viewers to discover their inner voice through auditory-tactile synaesthesia. It does this by using the transmitting qualities of water to draw out the inner voice and let it sing.
The viewer is invited to touch the surface of the instrument, which consists of several water-filled vessels. The interaction between the water within the viewer’s body and the water inside the installation triggers it to play sounds, filling the space with music and light.
This project has become the winner of the LIT Lighting Design Awards in the category of Immersive Lighting Projects.
Developed by Arthur Webber, Inner Waves was part of the Noor Riyadh, the largest Light Art Festival in the world. Although the Light Art Festival is not available anymore, the accompanying exhibition – Refracted Identities, Shared Futures – is still available to visit until March 2, 2024. It runs at the Riyadh Artspace in the JAX District.
Designed by Purely Mental Studio, Inner Waves represents a groundbreaking fusion of sensory experiences, where the tactile and auditory converge to evoke profound introspection and expression.
Noor Riyadh showcased expansive light-based artworks, from ephemeral sculptures and urban projections to immersive site-specific installations, across five pivotal city hubs. The festival features more than 120 pieces by over 100 artists. It was curated by Jérôme Sans, co-founder of Paris’ Palais de Tokyo; Pedro Alonzo, a Boston-based curator known for transcending museum boundaries; and Riyadh’s artists and curators, Alaa Tarabzouni and Fahad Bin Naif.
Refracted Identities, Shared Futures celebrates light as a flux, where artists as cartographers of light comprehend the dynamic nature of human and cultural identity amidst the shifting sands of time.
Refracted Identities, Shared Futures is available to visit from Saturday to Thursday from 11:00 AM until 1:00 AM and on Fridays from 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM.