On November 21, 1783, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes made history when they became the first humans ever to leave the earth and take flight in a hot air balloon. As the two men soared, as if by magic, over the hills of Butte-aux-Cailles, they ushered in a new chapter in Aviation history – and started a French love affair with the air that has blossomed ever since. Tributes to this romance are everywhere to be seen at Musée de l’air et de l’Espace, 150,000 square meter museum located next to the Paris-Le Bourget airport. Recently, the museum sparkled in a wonderous way during Cercle Festival 2024. Created by Cercle, an artistic movement that produces experiences, events, festivals, and immersive musical journeys that showcase artists on unique stages, the festival delivered an absorbing tapestry of sights and sounds.
At the center of the festival was a stage set up under the fuselage of Air France’s prototype Concorde, supersonic jet airliner, with the dancefloor located in in the museum space around the aircraft. Enhancing this immersive setting on a multitude of levels was an inspired lighting design by Steph Viallon that featured 55 CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes provided by Magnum. “I wanted to work on both height and depth, and to obtain reflections under the Concorde’s fuselage, which hosted the DJ set,” said Viallon. “At the same time, I wanted to have light sources that allowed me, through their graphic capabilities, to renew the images and not go round in circles for two 8-hour shows.” Viallon tried the Color STRIKE projectors on the catwalk. He was very pleased with the product’s reactivity on flats and strobes. At that point, he notes, “the choice was obvious and quick.”
Recounting how his design came together, Viallon noted: “In concept lighting, before anything else, I define a set of specifications. In the case of the Concorde stage, I decided on 4 points. The first was to work on both the height and depth. Second was to create reflections under the aircraft where the DJ stage was located. Next was to use light sources that, thanks to their graphic capabilities (pixel mode), would allow me to renew the images and avoid going round in circles during the shows. Finally, was the commitment of staying within budget.”
Following this approach and drawing on his own design skills, Viallon created a beautiful panorama, one that supported DJ performances on stage, while celebrating flight — not just the flight of aviation marvels, be they hot air balloons or modern jets, but also the most inspiring flight of all, that of the human imagination.
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