I am in Berlin attending the Professional Lighting Design Conference.  My flight schedule afforded me a few hours in London en route and I was determined not to waste the time.

Accompanied by my Londoner friend Paul Walker I went first to the Tate Modern to see what was on.  The main attraction in the turbine hall was what I would describe as a large wooden box into which visitors enter and grope about in the darkness.  The piece is by Miroslaw Balka and is titled ‘How it is’.  The absolute absence of light was quite disconcerting for a while and I did what I imagine many people do; I walked into the rear wall with my nose!  The sacrifices we make for art.

How it is

Afterwards, we jumped in a black cab (how very London) and went to check out Anish Kapoor’s new sculpture in the courtyard of The Royal Academy of Arts.  Pretty much the opposite of Balka’s black box, this work relies entirely on reflected light which reveals the wonderful Burlington House which dates back to the 17th century.

Anish Kapoor

It is interesting the way each artist expresses his work through light, especially given there is no electric light associated with either.

I have decided to run for the Membership Committee of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD).

Founded in 1969 and based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the IALD is an internationally recognised organisation dedicated solely to the concerns of independent, professional lighting designers.  The Membership Committee, as you might expect, deals with new applications to join the Association and hence committee’s role os of great importance to the continuing relevance of the organisation.

If elected I would seek to encourage a more international membership base.  Professional lighting design has grown as an industry in the decade in which I have been in Australia and I would like to see better representation of our profession locally and cross-fertilisation of ideas internationally.