Feathered Ascent

Feathered Ascent is an installation of dove sculptures that embraces both lightness and light within darkness. It is both a fitting metaphor and a symbol of peace.

This new media art installation by Nicholas Cheung skilfully demonstrates the use of robotics, electronics and advanced materials to create a much-needed icon for our times.

The dove’s reflective material was originally invented for scientific experiments to capture the most elusive and yet abundant particles in the universe, Dark Matter. Its gravitational properties holds our cosmos together, but the matter is almost invisible to science.  The space-age material of the doves reflects 99.95% of visible light, and it is folded into origami patterns to mimic ‘feathers’ that scatter light in all directions.

Each dove has twenty-two Photovoltaic panels; providing supplementary green energy.

The doves are hung as a flock and are in constant communication, using an onboard computer and Wi-Fi, allowing them to fly in unison.  We invented a high efficiency mechanism to oscillate the dove’s 1.6m wings.

This alchemy of lightness and darkness within  a flock of sixty dove mobile sculptures, hopes to spread a message of peace, light and harmony.

Feathered Ascent 是一項以動態鴿為主題的裝置藝術作品，旨在透過合適的比喻，去表達輕盈的概念，展現出黑暗中的光明 及象徵世界和平。

這項由 Nicholas Cheung 創作的新媒體裝置藝術， 充分呈現出如何利用機械技術，電子技術及先進材料去創造出當今世代所需要的標誌性的作品。

構成動態鴿的反射性物料，最初應用於科學實驗， 以捕捉宇宙中至難以捉摸但大量存在的‘暗物質‘。 暗物質的引力特性使宇宙中的物質得以凝聚， 然而 暗物質 幾乎難以被偵測及不可視。動態鴿上的這種反射物料可反射出99.95% 的可視光， 並被仿照鴿翼折成摺紙圖案，反射光線到各個方向。

各動態鴿裝有22塊光伏板，用以提供額外綠色能源。

多隻動態鴿會被懸掛於空中，鴿與鴿之間的交流，及飛翔的控制，會通過電腦及無線網絡進行。我們甚至原創一種高效機械裝置，驅動1.6米寬的鴿翼上下扇動。

我們祈望透過，這以六十隻動態鴿為主題的裝置藝術作品，向世界宣揚出和平， 光明及和諧的信息。