States of Matter

Friday 4 February - 6.30 to 9.30pm

Saturday 5 February - 5.30 to 9.30pm

States of Matter explores the varying states of water from ice to steam through this exciting light and sound installation which will take over the whole of St. Marys Church in the Lace Market, as part of the wider Light Night 2022 festival. The piece has been created with the superb Urban Projections team collaborating with young people from across Nottinghamshire.  

States of Matter is a stunning immersive experience, which fills the whole architecture of St Mary’s church, with synchronised light, sound and visual effects.  It questions our fragile relationship with water, whilst examining its natural cycle. 

With a predicted 4-degree shift in global temperatures over the next 80 years, polar ice caps are set to irreversibly melt, and global sea levels rise to dangerous levels, presenting one of the greatest challenges to humanity. Water connects us all.

States of Matter was created in a synergy between multimedia artist Urban Projections, and composer & sound designer CJ Mirra. Additional field recordings from the Arctic, Antarctic and the Humboldt Current, in the Pacific Ocean, are supplied by internationally renowned location recordist and sonic artist, Chris Watson, whose work includes the David Attenborough series ‘Frozen Planet’.

The artists collaborated with young people from Nottinghamshire, in a co-creation process from which their thoughts and ideas became articulated into the final artwork. The discussions enabled dialogue and encouraged conversation into global warming, water poverty and the interconnectedness of the atmosphere, earth and ocean, through the water cycle.  The young people also took part in a series of workshops creating audio samples and recordings from their surroundings, in response to the theme. These were then woven together with the field recordings from Chris, into a subliminal sonic score by CJ Mirra.

In a process of symbiosis, the visual elements were developed alongside the soundscape, carefully constructing passages of immersion based on the ‘states of water’. Using light as a medium, exploring colour theory and working with the latest audio-visual technologies, Urban Projections guided the young people through a workshop process with technical partners Sterling Events, to construct the final experience.

It is hoped that States of Matter presents a means for enabling dialogue and encouraging conversation on the issues currently facing us all, with regards to our relationship with water.