ARCEN, THE NETHERLANDS – Described by poets as “the music of the earth,” flowers have an almost magical power to turn every hillside and valley into a symphony that one can almost hear, as well as see. At the Enchanted Gardens light art festival, the “sound” of flowers harmonized beautifully with the human voice, thanks to the inspired work of Dynamic Beeld, Licht & Geluid.

Designing the Rosarium section of this 17-day festival, which takes place at the 42-hectare Kasteeltuinen Arcen garden complex, Dynamic Beeld, Licht & Geluid combined colorful lighting with a song written by Dutch recording artist Stef Classens.

“To honor the 90th anniversary of Het Limburgs Landschap, Stef Classens wrote a song called ‘In The Forest,’ “said Paul Winters of Dynamic Beeld, Licht & Geluid. “This song formed the basis of the light show that we programmed. The chosen color scheme worked really well with the lyrics of the song. This created a beautiful synergy between light and sound.”

Key to creating this evocative color scheme of graduated reds and greens, along with some bold blue aerial effects were six Maverick Storm 1 Spot fixtures from CHAUVET Professional. The design team positioned the 480-watt LED fixtures around the edge of a pond in the center of Het Rosarium.

“Arranging the fixtures this way allowed us to create a 360˚ effect,” said Winters. “The music and the lights really intensified each other. The bold blue aerial effects brought the music to a higher dimension and vice versa.”

Positioned on elevated platforms so as not to obstruct viewing angles during daylight hours, the Maverick fixtures were also used to project gobo images on the water as well on the tops of trees at the back of the pond. Meanwhile, their intense output ensured that their light could be appreciated from every corner of the gardens, which are located on the grounds of a 17th-century castle.

Given that the festival took place outdoors in the Netherlands, the IP-65 rating of the Maverick Storm 1 Spot was critically important. “We wanted all fixtures to be outdoor rated,” said Winters. “Weather can be an issue in this environment.”

Winters is very familiar with the demands of lighting Enchanted Gardens since Dynamic Beeld, Licht & Geluid has been providing technical support for the festival since 2015. He is also well acquainted with the rewards of being involved with this beautiful festival, which combines art, technology, and nature.

“The great thing about Enchanted Gardens is that they provide a stage for light artists from all over the world,” he said, adding that in addition to showcasing the work of established designers, this year’s festival featured displays by local students. Celebrating every creation, and raising them to ever-greater heights was the lyrical quality of flowers that filled the gardens with the inspiring sound of “Earth’s music.”

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