Caerphilly Castle To Host The World’s Leading Digital Artists

Digital meets historic for awe-inspiring exhibition — virtual reality paintings, multimedia sculptures and augmented selfies await visitors at Wales’s largest castle — Caerphilly chosen alongside New York, Berlin and Shanghai as stop on Lumen Prize 2016 tour. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The exhibition, which runs from 23rd to 28th November, will feature work from two Welsh artists — Gwynedd-based Mark Eaglen, whose work Transmission Call was shortlisted in the 3D/sculpture category, and Ronan Devlin from Conwy whose work toured globally with the 2015 Lumen Prize. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This is the homecoming show for The Lumen Prize, the world’s pre-eminent award for digital art. The prize is backed by Lumen Projects, a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to supporting and promoting artists whose work engages with technology, which was founded in Wales and has offices in Cardiff and the hamlet of Llangasty, Powys. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One of the highlights of the exhibition is this year’s Gold Prize winner ‘Hyperplanes of Simultaneity’ by Italian duo Fabio Giampietro and Alessio De Vecchi. ‘Hyperplanes’ invites the spectator to view canvases through a Samsung Gear VR headset, transforming the scenes painted in front of them into 3D cityscapes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Prize-winning UK artists will also feature in the Castle show. Collective boredomresearch’s computer generated landscape ‘AfterGlow’, Matteo Zamagni’s sensory VR experience ‘Nature Abstraction’, and Esther Rolinson and Sean Clark’s light-animated sculpture “Flown’ will all be on display. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event is being supported by Cadw — the Welsh Government’s historic environment service — which protects and promotes Welsh heritage and the Arts Council Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Carla Rapoport, Director & Founder of The Lumen Prize commented: “I always get the breath knocked out of me by the power and beauty of the Lumen Prize Shortlist, but this year the quality and variety of the work we are showing is extraordinary. We are so grateful for the local support we’ve received since we made Wales our home in 2012. It’s a privilege to bring this year’s winners to Caerphilly Castle for the first time and to open up doors for some of the very best digital art being created today.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Lumen Prize 2016 exhibition will take place in the Great Hall of Caerphilly Castle from Wednesday 23rd to Monday 28th November. The Castle’s opening times are 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday. Entry is £6 for adults, £4.20 for concessions, and free for under 5s. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Visitors can also sign up for creative coding workshops taking place on Saturday 26th November. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​