What’s it like to be responsible for ensuring Queenstown’s biggest art and light festival is 100% up and running? We catch up with Simon Holden to find out…
First of all, what is LUMA…
LUMA is a free arts and light festival in Queenstown, taking place on the 2nd – 5th June 2017.
What’s your role?
I work with the SILO team, which stands for South Island Light Orchestra. We deliver LUMA, so we set up and maintain all of the art installations at the festival.
SILO is also a creative team, we showcase our own installations, and hope to inspire others to create light-based art.
Why did you get involved?
I’ve always had a huge passion for tinkering and creating, I love pulling things apart, and putting them together in a new way. Using my own ideas, together with the ideas of others to build something new and interesting – that’s magic to me.
Plus I love working with light and photography! When creating a new sculpture, I like to imagine what it looks like when photographed and adjust the depth of field and composition.
What can we expect from SILO at LUMA 2017?
SILO has got involved with a number of very exciting installations this year. We’re especially proud to be working with local schools to help create two pieces, one which will feature in the garden beds, the other is a discovery piece full of the children’s creations and brought to light by
SILO technology.
Why do you think LUMA is important to Queenstown?
I think LUMA brings something completely new to Queenstown. It’s an event that’s 100% for the community, with a focus on the arts, but it also brings together technology, architecture and
industrial design.
What do you hope to achieve with your artistic installations?
I’d love for my sculptures to inspire others to create cool stuff. Working with your hands and making something physical is a practice and a lifelong passion – if I can inspire someone to get into it, they too could have a garage full of random stuff!
What is the future of SILO and LUMA?
We want to continue to bring LUMA to Queenstown each year, bringing the community, local government, businesses and artists together to create
beautiful things!
LUMA will be held on 2nd – 5th June 2017 in Queenstown Gardens.
Date: 31.03.2017
Author: Lakes Media
Thanks to www.queenstown.com