overview

This is the website for the interactive railing public art installation for the North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights 2024 Exhibition

This installation is located in the Education Center Plaza at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, NC. It is open to the public 6pm - 10pm everyday Nov. 13, 2024 until Jan 5, 2025.

The idea is to use a common object, a simple handrail, and turn it into an interaction point for fun collaborative interactions with lighting in a public space. The more people that are touching the handrail, the more vibrant and active the space becomes.

There are 5 handrails to interact with. Can you find them all??

There are four handrails at the steps in the plaza and one long railing at the ADA-accessible ramp on the east side of the plaza. Each is equipped with sensors and a light box. When you touch the railing, the box lights up and shows you where you are touching the railing. This also sends out waves of light throughout the space. The more handrails that are touched, the more dynamic, saturated, and active the space becomes.

This is an installation created by freakylamps co-op
with support from Motivo Engineering

Installation Photos

concept art

Technical

Check out the Github that includes code and technical details about the project.

This project is Open Source and created to try to adhere to the Open Source Hardware Association guidelines.

credits

Art Department

• Julia Mattos - artist, map illustration, underrailing box illustration
• Say Sun - aesthetic consultant

Fabrication Department

• Dee Hoang - Electrical technician and prime time support!
• Mando Garcia - sign frame fabrication
• Daniel Dempsey - underail module fabrication support and consultant on all things
• Oscar Ockomichalak - sensor mount prototyping
• Emma Meyers - fabrication and prototyping Extraordinaire
• Nate Baird - late night fabrication support
• Annetoinette Figueroa - fabrication support
• Daniel Gutierrez - last minute shipping crate help
• Seth Russell - last minute shipping crate help

Engineering Department

• Eliseo Nunez Vega - firmware engineer and prototyping guru
• Austin Dang - electrical engineer, project management assistance, prototyping guru
• Seena Vafaee - mechanical engineer, underail box design, sensor mount design

Support Department

• Danny Davis - consulting and advice on all things
• Elizabeth Poland - legal support
• Rob Wadleigh - last minute photoshop cleanup and assistance
• Chloe Reisen - project management guidance
• Zack Guiler - networking and fabrication consulting

Installation Department

• Billy Romano - on-site installation champion
• Eddie Farr - on-site installation champion

Project Leadership

• William Kennedy - designer, project lead

documenation

behind the scenes info and media of the making of the installation!