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Luminarium by Architects of Air
I had no idea about this event until I saw a video on my TikTok feed from Perth is OK!
Within minutes, I'd bought a ticket and the next day I was there. I've always been obsessed with colour (and ofc the other usuals... textures, shadows, light etc. as many have noticed by the way I take my photos, especially during the past 18 months).
It was school holidays and the event had only been on for six days but there weren't too many children, as one would expect. Granted, it was 4.40pm when I entered, some 20 minutes before my booked time slot.
The Location
The event is held at the Fremantle Arts Centre, located at 1 Finnerty Street in Fremantle from Saturday 23 September to Sunday 08 October.
Parking
Notwithstanding peak hour parking tends to be mental as anything, there was plenty of parking across the road at 10 Shuffrey Street when I went. It was something like $2 for 40 minutes parking. Crossing the road can be more hazardous than managing children but patience is like the game of cards so be sure to go early.
Sessions
The Fremantle Arts Centre website states "we recommend allowing approximately 20 minutes to explore the structure but you are welcome to remain in the space for longer."
I find this interesting because when I purchased the ticket, I was sure that I read the time slots were only for 20 minutes and this was further reinforced as a request from the staff member briefing us inside.
Admission for the event is between 9am and 5.45pm.
More information can be found on the Fremantle Arts Centre website.
Tickets
A single ticket is $18.40 and for those in a group of four or more people, this drops down to $17.35 per ticket.
Children under the age of two are free, those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and a minimum of one adult must be with four children.
A limited amount of tickets are available to purchase online from OzTix, with door sales at the event being sold as capacity allows.
Luminarium by Architects of Air
The structure is 45m long and 35m wide, with a total of 1,000sqm.
Created by founder, designer and artistic Alan Parkinson, he first began experimenting with pneumatic sculptures (containing or operated by air or gas under pressure) during the 1980s. By 1992, he had established Architects of Air as a company to build and take his luminarium designs on tour. The Nottingham-based company in the United Kingdom has held over 500 exhibitions in more than 40 countries.
Custom made from PVC, it takes six staff members 4-6 months to build a luminarium by hand, with structures reconfigured for different sites. Aspects of their functionality include, "portability, drainage, stability in windy conditions and accessibility to permit passage of wheelchairs".
The Event
Staff are positioned by the door, regulating the amount of people coming in and out of the "giant inflatable architectural structure" which makes it more enjoyable, especially for taking photos and enjoying the experience. More people inside the structure certainly wouldn’t make it anywhere as great!
Once you remove your shoes and place them in the shoe structures that remind you of your early pre-school days, you may have to wait a few minutes for people to exit through a flap, that's lifted up and down by staff.
The brief pep talk covers the basics of the design, that of Aborialis being "the theme of trees both in terms of forms and in graphic representation" and luminarium, being an artistic display of light and colour. This was followed with no running or pushing on the sides of the inflatable structure and to feel free to find a pond to sit and enjoy it all but please don't go over your 20 minutes.
Light music plays during the experience, the natural and spiritual sounds of the Song of Danu created by Irish composer Dr Michael Morris".
Conclusion
The experience was pretty awesome although it was certainly pretty intense from the colour-side of things. I had no idea how much intensity of colour could affect me.
Furthermore, it's probably a good idea to touch on this, in case anyone attends or brings children who have autism. Be mindful of the effects it could have but otherwise, I definitely recommend checking this event out. Even if it's a ticking time bomb with some eight or so days left!
September 2023
