'Saturday Night Fever'

Collaboration with Complete Fabrication
2002

Sculpture submission I for
Foyer, Ormond Street Children Hospital, London

The central idea for this installation was to introduce a positive leisure aspect into the hostile environment of a childrens’ hospital.
Visual references to familiar aspects of life outside the hospital are introduced, such a visit to a playground slide or a dance floor. These relocated features are altered and their form and function is transformed, playfully highlighting interactions and connections specific to the hospital apparatus.
Thus, in ‘Saturday Night Fever’, infrared sensors detect movement as people descend/ascend the adjacent staircase. The movement is then translated into a light-symphony of floor tiles.
The aim is to create a visually stimulating and appealing installation for children, parents and staff alike, to lessen the psychological trauma, aid recovery and to distract from the sad reality of life and death in a hospital.