10 February 2017
The work of Cambridge Assessment art mentees took centre stage at the launch of the e-Luminate Cambridge Festival today.
The festival was opened by Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner, who said it was very important for the city. Fabienne Viala, Chairman of Bouygues UK, the main contractors for Cambridge Assessment’s new Triangle headquarters as well as the festival’s headline sponsors, told the audience that the way the festival "combines light and the built environment" was a perfect match for Bouygues UK. The festival’s Director Alessandra Caggiano thanked Bouygues UK for their commitment to the festival which she said highlighted the "power of collaboration".
The work of the artists who have been mentored for the past year as part of Cambridge Assessment’s public art engagement programme attracted a great deal of attention at the event. Henry Driver's work, situated above the bar and at the entrance to the main venue, interacted with guests who were able to see distorted version of themselves portrayed on the screens. Eleanor Osmond’s work used a text-based light installation using 30,000 words from the Cambridge Assessment archives and Abi Spendlove's work portrayed an infrared journey from Cambridge Assessment's 1 Hills Road site to the new Triangle headquarters. This was displayed from a round window overlooking the foyer of the building. The Corn Exchange launch was followed by a public launch in the market square by Cambridge Mayor Jeremy Benstead. There was then an opening event, 'Dark and Light', featuring dance and music back at the Corn Exchange. All three pieces by the art mentees can be seen at the Corn Exchange until this Friday (15 February).
During the festival Cambridge Assessment's new Triangle headquarters at Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge, is featuring a construction-related moving light projection from within the building's tower, created by leading projection artist Ross Ashton. His previous projects have included the 800th anniversary of the University of Cambridge, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
Visit the e-Luminate Cambridge Festival for more details.