A free festival in Oldham features a dazzling light display, “The Matter of the Heart,” powered by real-time heartbeats.
The festival runs this Saturday and Sunday. It features art from local and global artists. Oldham will host projections and neon bands. People can enjoy light painting and church tours.
The studio idontloveyouanymore created a special artwork. It will be shown on Saturday’s Illuminate Light Night. Anna West and Davi Callanan lead the studio.
Their art uses real heartbeats to power lights. One hundred boxes will flash with the heart data. Oldham Parish Church will host the artwork Saturday night. It was shown in Salford last year.
Anna West calls it “Graveyard of the Living.” People can see connections and read local stories. The boxes use heart rate monitors from an app.
Each box represents a person from Oldham. They share personal stories. One person thanked a hospital. Another wrote a romantic message. Boxes are like love letters.
The project started last year. It has toured Aberdeen and Barnsley. People react differently to it at each place. People are shocked it responds in real time, says Anna.
This makes them more interested. They want to know who is behind each box. People feel connected to their town again. This project helps them reconnect. It is held in important local spaces. Seeing their heartbeat gives people confidence. They see their body is working well.
The 100 boxes will be at the church Saturday night. The time is 6 PM to 9 PM. The Illuminate parade starts at 6 PM. It goes to the Old Town Hall.
The Light Night features art from Blackpool gallery. There will be a breathing sound and light show. Dancers from an Indian group will perform. Sunday’s festival is at Northern Roots Urban Farm. It happens 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. It focuses on technology, robots, and AI.