Martin by HARMAN lighting solutions were recently used as the creative lighting
components for SONICtower, an outdoor art installation by Sound Media Artist
Zulkifle Mahmod (also known as ZUL). Martin’s VDO Sceptron 10 and Exterior Wash
310 were featured during i Light Marina Bay, Asia’s leading sustainable light art
festival, which promotes environmentally responsible behaviour for a sustainable
future. Every aspect of the annual festival adopts a more effective and efficient
management of resources to meet its commitment to the environment—and the
choice of energy-conserving, high-impact Martin LEDs perfectly fulfilled the
festival’s criteria.

At the forefront of a generation of sound-media artists in Singapore, ZUL has
earned a reputation for integrating 3D forms with “sound constructions’ and
“soundscapes,’ often crossing genres and featuring collaborations with other artists.
Marked by diversity, the artist has adopted a multi-disciplinary/multi-genre
approach that includes drawings, prints, sculptures and ready-mades.

ZUL’s SONICtower installation was an expansion of “Alice, Did You Hear That?’ – a
sound installation commissioned for Singapore: Inside Out in 2015 and inspired by
Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland and Spaces Speak, Are You Listening?, a book by
Barry Blesser and Linda-Ruth Salter that explores soundscapes in the urban
environment.

According to the artist’s statement, SONICtower comprised “four zones with a total
of 320 solenoids and LED lights to create a rhythmic sound and lightscape’ within
the confines of a four-story scaffold, inviting visitors to “listen and discover unique
compositions as they explore different pockets of the artwork.’ Each zone uses 64
solenoids controlled by one microcontroller. The solenoids hit on the surface of the
scaffoldings and the LED lights glow by programming them in a composition format.
Each composition lasts about 10–15 minutes and then continues on a loop. The
structure becomes “alive and playful.’

The Martin product array showcased in the SONICtower included a mix of VDO
Sceptron 10 outdoor rated LED video fixtures (30 each in 320 mm and 1000 mm),
powered by a P3 PowerPort 1500™ integrated power and data processor, all
coordinated with a P3-200 System Controller. The outdoor lighting system included
a Martin Exterior Wash 310 quad colour LED (RGBW) programmed with a M2GO
controller.

“I had a great time working with the Martin lighting equipment,’ said ZUL. “There
are a lot of possibilities to explore further in the future!’