Seven Nocturnal Rainbows, one of the Lakes Ignite 2016 highlights (Photo: Dave Thorburn)
When: 30th April – 6th May 2016, from 8.45pm each evening
Where: Coniston, Ullswater and Grasmere, Cumbria
£: Free
What is it?
A new light installation will be seen across some of the most iconic lakes in The Lake District, beginning at Coniston this weekend. Seven Nocturnal Rainbows for the English Lakes is a creation that will use the very latest in LED technology to pay homage to Turner’s painting A Shower, Buttermere.
The Seven Nocturnal Rainbows will appear as the light fades each evening and will become stronger as night takes over from day. Each rainbow will consist of up to 250 floating LED units, each with its own GPS sensor; reacting to their location to create a gigantic spectrum as they travel across the lakes. The exact motion of the lights will depend on the wind, and each passage will last up to one and a half hours.
This dramatic rainbow light installation has been created by artist Charles Monkhouse. The idea is inspired by the poets and artists of the Lake District, in particular J.M.W.Turner’s famous painting A Shower, Buttermere. It revisits places that have enthralled earlier artists, particularly the painters of the Romantic and Picturesque periods. The installation ties together many of their formal elements; land and water, light and dark, rain and sun, and garden and wilderness.
Visitors will be able to see the rainbows at Coniston from Saturday 30th April to Monday 2nd May, then at Ullswater on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th May, and finally at Grasmere on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th May.
Lakes Ignite is a celebration of artistic expression taking place from 30th April to 22nd May 2016, showcasing art, performance, literature and festivals in The Lake District.
More info: lakesculture.co.uk/seven-nocturnal-rainbows