Media façade and artwork Supra
LED-media façade artfully interprets supply
Service inside the building, art on the outside: The outer façade of our new Stadtwerke customer centre is an urban architectural emphasis and artful point of light in the centre of Jena.
Every day, a so far in Jena unique LED-façade illuminates an artwork by the Jena-born and internationally renowned artist Robert Seidel. Its title "Supra" - Latin for "above" - indicates the artist's view on the local supply infrastructure of the different Stadtwerke enterprises that covers Jena like an invisible network and brings life to the city.
Actual Stadtwerke-data translated into light
For this medial artwork, Robert Seidel developed an abstract data sculpture that artfully interprets the different fields of activity of our enterprises Stadtwerke, Nahverkehr, jenawohnen and Bädergesellschaft.
The displayed and ever-changing imagery is partly derived from actual data regarding, amongst others, local energy consumption, passenger numbers, visitor numbers of the swimming pools, and housing. With a software, Robert Seidel translated the changes, evolution and trends of the pure numbers into forms and movements of light. In this way, every day, new and always changing forms are created.
Come have a look at it!
Every day at 6 p.m., "Supra“ displays one of seven data sculptures:
1. Monday: flumen (electricity)
2. Tuesday: nubes (gas)
3. Wednesday: calor (district heating)
4. Thursday: aqua (water)
5. Friday: equus (public transport)
6. Saturday: domus (new lettings)
7. Sunday: fluvius (swimming pools)
Facts and Figures about the LED-media façade
- consists of glass façade covered with little LED-lamps
- contains more than 22,000 single light spots
- total size approx. 60 square metres (ca. 20 metres length and 3 metres height)
- light temperature 2,000-3,000 kelvin (corresponds with the regulations for reduction of light pollution)
- You can see the artwork Supra daily from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m.; best, however, after sunset.
- utilised data for Supra:
- energy and water consumption Jena
- passenger numbers public transport services Jena
- visitor numbers swimming pools Jenaer Bäder
- tenancy rate jenawohnen
Biographic details Robert Seidel
After starting to study biology, Robert Seidel (*1977) changed to Bauhaus-University Weimar, where he graduated in media design. His projections, installations and experimental films have been displayed on numerous international festivals and in galleries and museums such as the Palais des Beaux-Arts Lille, ZKM Karlsruhe, Art Center Nabi Seoul, Young Projects Los Angeles, Museum of Image and Sound São Paulo, and MOCA Taipeh. His pieces have been awarded with various prizes, such as the price of honour of the KunstFilmBiennale and the Visual Music Award Frankfurt.