PEAL @ LUMEN

PEAL: A Virtual Campanile is an interactive installation which models the layout and operation of a traditional church bell tower – replacing the bell ropes by an optical sensing system where lasers act to trigger the ringing process of the individual bells. When a beam is interrupted by a player’s hand, the installation reproduces the ringing of the appropriate bell through a multi-speaker sound system, as if its corresponding rope had been pulled.

PEAL is a project by Monomatic – an occasional collaboration, experimental playground and halfway house between the work of Nick Rothwell a.k.a. Cassiel – a composer, performer, software architect, programmer and sound designer – and myself.

It was originally commissioned by Sound & Music for their Expo Festival, 24-29 Sep 2009 where it was installed and exhibited in the Leeds Arena, Leeds City Museum – and was later showcased at Ambika P3, London as part of Kinetica Art Fair ’10, 4-7 Feb 2010.

The work was subsequently put into storage until a minimal version was exhibited at Cornbrook Creative’s A Grand Exposition at Talbot Mill, Manchester, 26-29 Oct 2017 as part of a showcase of resident artists’ work. It was seen by Amy Lewis, Cultural Economy Development Manager, Cheshire East Council and as a result, we were invited to showcase it in the courtyard of the now disused Christ Church as part of LUMEN – Crewe’s Night of Lights – 26 Nov 2018.

The opportunity allowed us to thoroughly overhaul the installation software and hardware (with help from Mike Cook) and get it ‘exhibition ready’ again. Leeway Productions provided some additional outdoor lighting which really brought the venue to life.