Workshop: Art Installation: Tips & Tricks
Continuing iNYALA’s series of workshops organised to not only guide our finalists in creating their installations but also engage the public on all things digital and interactive. Stanley Seow from SVT Maker led iNYALA’s second workshop on 7 September 2019 at REXKL. As an IoT consultant and adjunct lecturer at Raffles College of Higher Education, he teaches interactive media, coding and game programming related subjects. Stanley has made a career for himself, intersecting between art and science where most of his works revolve around designing hardware & IoT solutions and interactive art installation programming.
Stanley shared types of lights to consider when comes to producing light art installation such as LED, fluorescent tubes, lasers, and also the consideration of using each kind of light. Lasers requires high output power that degrades over time and is somehow inappropriate for children’s safety concern but Stanley noted this can be overcome by careful light programming and placing strategically during the design phase of the installation.
Besides being experienced in handling lights and programming, he also incorporates motion sensors and music into his projects. He further explained how he electronically design a combination of lasers and sensors to trigger MIDI notes on a keyboard in one of his past projects; on another occasion when the same project had to be made for deaf children, he focused on the visual and colour aspect through utilising acrylic blocks.
Some of his other tips include having electrical and electronic connectors for quick connection and disconnection, spare wires, building prototype, test run light pattern for a prolonged period to ensure the electronics work stably during actual installation. Connections and wirings labelling are important as well for service staff and maintenance purpose.
Stanley encouraged everyone to pick up creative coding, though that it was a steep learning curve even for him particularly when creating ‘BOLT’ with light-artist cum architect, Jun Ong for i Light Marina Bay Singapore in 2016. During Q&A session, he also generously gave away his uniquely designed printed circuit board (PCB) rulers that has multi-function such as measurement, connectivity tester, holes and current reference table and even bottle opener!
Stanley expressed consistent learning and exploring are going to be a norm with coding and interactive art, so there is always a need to keep experimenting in order to “Imagine the Impossible”!