Hidden in Plain Sight for COSMOS \\ bluedot: Documentation

Hidden in Plain Sight was created for the second edition of COSMOS, our arts-science residency taking place annually at Jodrell Bank Observatory. COSMOS invites an international artist to create a new audio-visual work developed for, and to be projected onto, the iconic Lovell Telescope during bluedot festival. The commission attracted thousands of viewers to our live stream, as well as festival goers who witnessed the projection under the stars during Thursday and Saturday night of bluedot.

Hidden in Plain Sight was accompanied by an immersive 360° soundscape created by Arup acoustic engineer Simon Jackson, using Jodrell Bank’s data sets from the telescope as inspiration. Those looking at the projection were able to experience both in unison in the Star Field on Saturday evening. You can watch the live stream of Hidden in Plain Sight from bluedot festival, on our facebook.

bluedot festival hosted an arts science panel that included Pod Bluman, AND’s Senior Producer Ruth McCullough, Marcus Lyall and COSMOS artist Addie Wagenknecht. Across the weekend, AND staff, COSMOS Ambassadors and the Arup team were stationed at Mission Control to talk to festival goers about Hidden in Plain Sight, whilst engaging them in multi-reality experiences created by Arup, inspired by their LiDAR scans of the Lovell Telescope.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/abandonnormaldevices/albums/72157699027482684

For further reading, take a look at our journal where there are conversations with COMSOS artist Addie Wagenknecht, acoustic engineer Simon Jackson and University of Manchester researcher Philippa Hartley.

Hidden in Plain Sight has been created as part of COSMOS, a flagship international artists commission and residency for the Lovell Telescope.  Produced by Abandon Normal Devices, commissioned by Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire East Council as part of SHIFT and Abandon Normal Devices. Supported by the University of Manchester, bluedot, Arup, Austrian Cultural Forum, and with public funds from Arts Council England.

With special thanks to Rene Breton, Sally Cooper, Philippa Hartley, Tim O’Brien and Mitch Mickaliger from the University of Manchester, Simon Blakeney and Simon Jackson from Arup, and Stefan Hechenberger of NORTD labs.