An interactive public art project is coming to lower Main Street in Cambridge on Friday.
FUSE, a collection of interactive light installations that can sense movement and pass communication to other columns, is being installed on the road as part of the Main Street patio closure through the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Waterloo region's three largest business improvement areas collaborated with local arts group BOKO to develop the series of installations in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.
BOKO is an integrative design team providing services spanning from structural, visual, and digital design.
The project was created to draw people downtown and “inspire a sense of wonder, intrigue, and excitement,” said Downtown Cambridge BIA executive director Brian Kennedy.
Kennedy said the installation uses motion sensors to interact with people around it, responding to movement with coloured lights and a “terrestrial kind of sound” not dissimilar to what Cambridge residents might have experienced at past Unsilent Night events.
“Our focus from the beginning was to create an interactive art piece that would be modular in order for it to be re-used and reimagined in the future," Kennedy said in a press release.
The three installations can be brought together to create larger displays.
FUSE marks the second time the three BIAs worked together on a joint project.
In 2019, they created the Creative Capital of Canada banner campaign to celebrate the region’s history and culture.
Kennedy said the success of that project led to the discussion for collaborating on a public art project.
"Public art provides a unique experience to everyone,” said Kennedy and the other BIA directors in the release. “This project is a show of our appreciation for the support to our small businesses across the Region."
Once Main Street is reopened, the Downtown Cambridge BIA will relocate FUSE to another public space, likely on Dickson Street near city hall, Kennedy said.
