Tim Budgen from Ara Art and Design will be re-vamping his mesmerizing LED art installation piece ‘Reflections’, with the
help of Ara Motion Design students, as a part of the Christchurch City Council’s July-long ‘CHCH IS LIT’ art happening.
The Art & Design department have been involved in Botanic D'Lights - another popular lighting festival the Council runs - over
the last few years, designing a variety of light and video works. The biennial festival has been postponed until June
2021 due to COVID-19, with the gap being filled by a new format festival entitled ‘CHCH IS LIT.’
Sheena Baines, Events Manager at Spectrum Lighting & Sound, has in the past supported Ara entries during her tenure as Director of Botanic D’Lights. This year, she has had
her proposal accepted to produce a new version of ‘Reflections’, Tim’s 2016 design for Botanic D'Lights, which employs
an LED video wall, designed to be appreciated while it is suspended above water.
The piece will be installed in early July on the Avon River opposite the Oxford Terrace strip, one of more than 20 sites
around the CBD and New Brighton that will illuminate the dark winter month with a stunning series of light and
video/projection artworks.
Christchurch companies and artists have created the installations, which will be visible in Victoria Square, Friendship
Corner (the grass area opposite Riverside Market), the Park of Remembrance (on the Avon River opposite The Terraces),
Cathedral Square, City Mall and on New Brighton Pier.
The ‘CHCH IS LIT’ event will, in addition to providing inspiring light-based art works for city pedestrians to view,
hopefully help to lift the spirits of business owners and offer support to them during the trying times brought about by
COVID-19.
Lucy Blackmore, Council’s Events and Arts Manager, recently commented in the CCC’s Newsline publication from May 18th
2020 “With events and gatherings at a minimum, we wanted to look at new and innovative ways to connect with the
Christchurch public, as well as providing some support to the local arts and events industry which has been hit hard.”
Tim Budgen of Ara says “While it’s a shame that Botanic D’Lights isn’t possible this year, I’m very pleased that Sheena
has helped the Motion Design students and me become involved with the new ‘CHCH IS LIT’ format. It’s a great opportunity
to revisit my earlier piece, and light up a corner of the river in town during what can be a cold dark month.”
The Ara design school has some other exciting exhibitions planned for the rest of the year, including the Applied Visual
Arts exhibition in the Artbox from July the 28th to August the 8th, the ‘Contact’ mid-year exhibition with work from all years and specialisations from August the 13th to September the 10th and ‘Pitch’, the Graduate exhibition, which will be running from November the 10th to 22nd.