 The public are being given a unique chance to be part of Britain’s biggest light artwork, Nocturne, by sending photos to the website www.metronocturne.com. These photos will be turned into digital ‘bar codes’ of colour projected within the structure of the bridge by 140 banks of LED lights – with two billion different patterns possible. Artist Nayan Kulkarni is seeking 6,000 different images to create the bars of light that will move back and forth every night for the next 15 years. The Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge is becoming known as the ‘blue bridge’ since its bright new paint scheme, devised by Nayan Kulkarni, began to emerge this summer. Nocturne will be completed early next year, when the lights will be switched on right across the 360-metre structure for the first time. But photos and film of early tests on just one third of the bridge (attached) give an idea of the impact of Nocturne. Nayan Kulkarni said: “Nocturne will be shaped by thousands of people. I want them to send digital photos to www.metronocturne.com from where they will be turned into ‘bar codes’ displaying their vital colour elements. “What’s important is not the image itself but the colours and contrasts within it – and the more striking the better. You might send a sunset that would turn different lights golden and purple, or daffodils that would send ripples of yellow and green across the bridge. “The LED lights can create two billion colour combinations, so the range is as big as the imaginations of those who take part – what about a close-up of a stained glass window, a brightly-coloured child’s toy or just a holiday snap? “Like voices singing within a choir it will be impossible to distinguish an individual picture from the final colours on the bridge, but if you send in a photo you will know you are part of Nocturne.” “All the images will be programmed in before the lights of Nocturne are switched on for the first time, so this is a unique opportunity to take part.” One image will be selected each night to move slowly across the bridge between Gateshead and Newcastle, seen by more than 10 million visitors to the quaysides and rail and road users every year. The 6,000 images selected will be used over the next 15 years at least, until the bridge again needs to be repainted to protect it from the elements. The website www.metronocturne.com contains full details about the project, and information on how to submit pictures. Background Nocturne, Britain’s biggest new light artwork, is a £300,000 project forming part of Nexus’ Art on Public Transport Programme. The project is taking shape alongside the scheduled repainting of the QE11 Metro Bridge, which will itself cost £1.7m, and which must be done every 15 years to protect the structure from the elements. Nocturne, by artist Nayan Kulkarni, is supported financially by: The Northern Rock Foundation; Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council; Newcastle City Council; Arts Council England, North East; TyneWear Partnership; the Port of Tyne Authority; GNER, and CE Electrics. The Painting Contractor for this project is Pyeroy Ltd; the lighting contractor is Lumivision Architectural Lighting Ltd; the consulting engineer is WA Fairhurst and Partners. The title Nocturne is the musical term for a composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. Nocturne has two elements. Firstly, the bridge is being painted in a two-tone colour scheme that will change its appearance depending on the angle it is viewed from. Secondly, by night it will be lit by 140 banks of LED lights, concealed within the structure of the bridge. One image each night will move across the structure from Newcastle to Gateshead and back again, and at different times on either side of the bridge. The rise and fall of the tide will dictate the strength of light on the bridge, while the intensity of colour will change when a Metro train crosses. NAYAN KULKARNI
Nayan Kulkarni is a graduate of London’s Slade School of Art renowned for his work using art as a means to transform public spaces. He is involved in architectural and design collaborations which exploit engineering design and technologically advanced materials, through his studio NKProjects. NKProjects is currently involved in large-scale public art schemes in Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester and London. Nayan Kulkarni was chosen from more than 20 artists who expressed an interest in the commission following a lengthy selection process. THE QEII METRO BRIDGE
The Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge was built from 1976 to 1979 to carry Metro between Newcastle and Gateshead. The through-truss steel girder construction was built out from each bank, with the two sections meeting on August 1, 1978. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II when Her Majesty officially opened Metro in November 1981. The span between the concrete piers is 168 metres, at the time of construction the longest of its kind in Europe. The full length of the bridge is 360 metres. It cost £6,167,600 to build at the time of its construction, and must be repainted every 12-15 years to protect it from the elements. Around 6,000 litres of paint is needed to cover the bridge, with 45,000 metres of scaffolding used in the project this year. ART ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Nexus commissions and maintains art at Metro stations and other transport interchanges in Tyne and Wear dating back to 1977 through the Art on Public Transport Programme. More than 30 permanent piece of art form part of this unique collection, including Danny Lane’s striking 90-metre sculpture Opening Line at Gateshead Bus interchange, distinctive woodcut-style images of the North East at Metro’s Central station and Landing Lights, a lightwork illuminating South Shields ferry landing. Under Art on Public Transport up to 1% of the budget of a capital programme can be put towards commissioning a work of art – often meaning distinctive works can be built into a structure at minimal cost. Funding is sought from arts bodies and development organisations to support the programme. Nocturne is the largest commission granted by Nexus. All images are copyright Mark Pinder/Nexus.
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