France - Musée de l'air et de l'Espace, a 150,000sq.m museum located next to the Paris-Le Bourget airport, sparkled 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 centre 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 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 motorised 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 eight-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."
Viallon continues: “In concept lighting, before anything else, I define a set of specifications. In the case of the Concorde stage, I decided on four 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 panorama that supported DJ performances on stage, while celebrating flight.
