We take ‘the world is your canvas’ to extremes in Manchester, with incredible street art being the norm, and exhibitions happening anywhere and everywhere. Now, Spinningfields has commissioned its newest light art installation, in the form of ‘O.T. 1191‘, a captivating piece designed by Stefan Reiss that’s guaranteed to brighten your evening and add a touch of magic to your week.
Get ready to see Spinningfields transform as this illuminating installation of light art stands proud in the centre of Manchester. Internationally renowned and award-winning contemporary artist Stefan Reiss will showcase a never-before-seen artwork, entitled ‘O.T.1191’ in the contemporary Spinningfields from October 19 to October 21, the newest in a line of installations taking advantage of the innovative space.
Since 2010, Stefan Reiss has been working on an archive of digital drawings, which consist exclusively of straight lines and that now form an archive of over one thousand works. O.T. 1191 (Untitled 1191) is his most recent work, with the accompanying serial number 1191.
In the Spinningfields light art installation, Reiss colours the lines and fields by applying one of his colour alphabets, a technique he’s worked on since 2017 with the help of a linguist. Colour alphabets work by assigning a specific colour to every letter of the Latin alphabet according to how it sounds and where the sound originates in the oral cavity. For example, vowels are depicted in different shades of grey.
This drawing has then been complexly translated from a digital file into a spectacular, real, haptic form that’s composed of ship ropes and metal structures that are 6.5 metres long, seven metres deep and eight metres high.
O.T.1191 will have its worldwide debut at Spinningfields in Manchester from 6pm – 11pm, from October 19 – 21. This piece of public art is completely free to visit, whenever you like – so no ticket is required.