GLOW: Second Nature: Installation by Urban Projections

As part of the wider exhibition, Second Nature (11-13 March 2024) a volumetric lighting and immersive audio installation by Rebecca Smith, Urban Projections will be installed in St Mary le Strand church. The piece is informed by live data exchange from the pollution sensors that surround the Strand Aldwych space. 

A collaboration with leading researchers at King’s College London, Second Nature draws directly from the many environmental sensor stations that surround the Strand Aldwych area. The installation is driven by the real-time data generated by these sensors, mirroring invisible entanglements with the surrounding climate, including temperature, air quality, humidity, signal pollution and wind. The event is part of the GLOW: Illuminating Innovation exhibition.

By taking information that is invisible to the human eye and presenting it in a way that seamlessly overlays with the public realm, audiences are invited to explore a dynamic perception of space, and to critically engage with issues of climate change.
The work uses volumetric light to create evolving structures through the internal environment of St Mary Le Strand Church. Accompanied by an immersive spatialised speaker system, the ephemeral use of 3D space creates a unique moment for reflection and contemplation.
Rebecca Smith, an artist practicing under the name Urban Projections, has been drawing lines between the natural world, art and technology for over 20 years. Smith’s practice centres around the natural environment and our place within it, aiming to reaffirm our connection to nature and each other. Often through the creation of large-scale immersive experiences, Rebecca has developed innovative methods for cross-genre experimentation.
This installation uses haze and flashing lights. Sound design by CJ Mirra, production by Sterling Events Group.
Second Nature has been made possible by support and funding from: the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), King’s College London, King’s Together, King’s Culture, VIP Studio at the University of Nottingham, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Social and Public Policy, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Horizon 2020.
The event is supported by King’s Climate & Sustainability.

Second Nature is part of GLOW: Illuminating Innovation, a new exhibition showcasing groundbreaking digital creativity by women in technology, will open at King’s on International Women’s Day, 8 March. A curation, led by Professor Sarah Atkinson, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, of brand-new artworks alongside historical works spanning five decades will be on display in multiple locations across the Strand campus until 20 April.