LDN24 is a media art installation by The Light Surgeons for the Museum of London‘s Sackler Hall. It presents an anthropomorphic portrait of London that reveals the abstract dance of this 24-hour city. It explores the capital as a physical organism and its hidden relationship with a larger, digital landscape, creating a cardiogram of the city that perpetually reflects the ‘now’.

The film was created by a group of visual artist through an extensive series of visual studies around London in 2009. The resulting 30 minute film charts a daily cycle of the city which is then translated onto the surrounding LED curatin as a stream of live data feeds. These information feeds are being continually updated via the web and continually re-printed by the hands of a giant RGB clock.

LDN24 is a commission by the Museum of London in collaboration with Film London.

Director: Christopher Allen
Producer: Alice Ceresole
Editor: Tim Cowie
Visual Production: Christopher Allen, Tim Cowie, Dean Moore, James Price, Rita Ribas, Stuart York
Data Visualisation: Field.io
Sound Design: Tim Cowie, Malcolm Litson
Locations: Alice Ceresole, Dan Fellows
Research: Peter Brenan, Laura Hannay
Production Assistant: Helen Omand

Support from:

BAA Heathrow, Broadgate Estates, Regis House (London Bridge), Bywaters, City Academy Hackney, City of London Corporation, Billingsgate Market, City of London Film Office, City of London Police, Smithfield Market, Clissold Leisure Centre, Cory Environmental Limited, Film London, Greater London Authority, Invista Real Estate, Investment Management, Land Securities, IPC Helipad, London Borough Film Units, London Underground Film Office, More London Estates Ltd, Network Rail, Newsfax International Ltd, Novotel London St Pancras, Panasonic UK, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tesco

Special thanks to:

Bob and Maggie Allen, Kevin Foakes, Helen Omand, Ed Purver, Olivier Ruellet, Laura Hannay, Victoria Tremble
The installation will be on display in the museum until 2012 and is free entry to the public.

The Legacy Now Youth Panel is a dedicated group of young people aged 14-19 from the five Olympic host boroughs who are engaged in the Olympic Legacy planning process. The panel has been convened by Fundamental, an organisation that is leading the field in youth engagement in architecture and the built environment.

In July 2009 The Light Surgeons helped to create a special event for the launch of the their manifesto. In collaboration with Fundamental and the members of the panel we created a giant animated 3D architectural model, based on the Olympic legacy master Plan, as the center piece for their event at Ocean in Hackney East London. The installation’s content was informed through a series of workshops and the event brought together a range of young people from across the host boroughs to interact and learn about the London Development Agencies plans for the post Olympic site.

Fundamental is funded by the London Development Agency in partnership with the Five Host Boroughs

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Project led by Chris Allen and Tim Cowie
Documentation film by Rita Ribas

The Light Surgeons were commissioned by Research In Motion to create an animated visual wrap for their Blackberry trade stands in 2009, to be shown at both the GSM technology expo in Barcelona and C-BIT mobile expo in Hanover, Germany. Working with the stand’s designers Shelton Fleming and brand consultancy Figtree, they created a series of rich and colourful ambient visuals for the stand utilising Element Labs‘ Stealth L.E.D. technology.

Directed by Christopher Thomas Allen
Design and Animation by Tim Cowie
Project management by Annie Kwan

This film was created entirely from the waste collected and produced during the Sapporo ICC International Creative Workshop 2008 that took place between 4th -14th March 2008.The project was led by artists Christoher Thomas Allen, Tim Cowie and James Price working in collaboration with producer Youki Mikami and the ICC.

The resulting piece of work was informed through the ingenuity, creativity and collaboration of the workshops 16 participants. The Intercross Creative Center (ICC) is a Sapporo based supportive institution for creators, inviting top creative Talent from in and outside of Japan to hold an international workshop every year.

The themes explored in the workshop and this film are ‘local living & global environment’ and ‘between culture and civilization: everyone’s story’. The film was distributed as a DVD the international press and general public during the G8 summit in Sapporo in June 2008.

The Light Surgeons were commissioned to create a four screen audio visual peice to celebrate the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall at the Overture weekend, Southbank, London on the 8th & 9th June 2007. The four films were projected across the south side of the Royal Festival hall on two nights as part of the re-opening festival.

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Director: Christopher Thomas Allen
Producer: Annie Kwan
Editor: Johnny Halifax
Artists: Brede Korsmo, Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow
Animation: blinkinLAB, Toby Harris & Tim Cowie
Audio Production: Jude Greenaway

In 2001 The Light Surgeons were approached by Scarlet Projects and asked to produce a visual installation for the news company Bloomberg’s London HQ. Working in collaboration with architects Powell Tuck Associates, TLS designed a three screen video installation and interactive LED ticker display for their reception area along with a video floor installation on a stair way that joined their two buildings.

The content for the video piece was recorded during a six week trip, stopping in seven very different cities around the world. Filming consisted of a series of visual studies focused on movement of people, stock exchanges and trading, transport systems and the rich architectural environment of these modern metropolises.

The final films were carefully edited to evolve ambiently across the screens and were filmed in such a way that the people passing the camera in each country appear projected to scale in the space.

Directed by Christopher Thomas Allen & Jude Greenaway
Camera: Christopher Thomas Allen, James Price & Jude Greenaway
Produced by Becky Gates & Mathew Higgs
Commisioned by Scarlet Projects

“Requiem For Concrete” was an audio video installation that was commissioned for the Dissonanze5 Festival at Palazzo Dei Congressi, Roma, Italy in May 2005.

The video installation pulled together architecturally themed footage from various different Light Surgeons projects with material recorded around Rome. The final piece evolved acoss three huge video projections on to the facade of the Palazzo Dei Congressi, an architectural monument to Mussolini’s fascism in Rome.

Collaborating Artists: Christopher Thomas Allen, Jude Greenaway & Rob Rainbow

Documentation edit: Miglena Minkova
Music:”Muim” by Murcof

Promotional film made in 2003 to bring awareness and raise funding for a public video screen project planned for Camden Lock market and designed by Ron Arad. The project was initiated by Camden Council and is planned to operate with a public access scheme which will engage with local community and youth groups in the area who will be invited to create content for it.

Directed by Chris Allen & Brede Korsmo
Produced by Alice Ceresole
CG Animation by Ron Arad Associates

This installation was created in 2002 for the Grand Hotel Salone exhibit at the Milan Furniture fair, sponsored by Ceccotti. It was specially commission by Architect and designer Ron Arad to illuminate his futuristic vision of a hotel room, themed on Mexco City. The design of the room centered around a circular bed which was surrounded by a 360 degree projection. The Light Surgeons were commissioned to created the audio and visual content for this 360 degree immersive entertainment environment.

The production was a mixture of motion graphics sequences and a live action shoot, which was filmed using a rotating four camera rig developed in collaboration with designer Ben Wilson. The live action shoot formed an illustrated of a poem by Louden Wainwright.

Produced & Directed by Christopher Thomas Allen
Animation by Jude Greenaway & Maya Raviv 3D Animation by Ron Arad Associates
Production Assistant James Price
Sound Design by Scanone