Lord of Light: How Chris Levine lit up Hastings

On 10 September 2016 the Hastings Pier and seafront were illuminated by a spectacular sound and light show from the world renowned laser artist Chris Levine.

Chris’s iy_Project show, which was sponsored by Beaming, launched the Root 1066 International Festival and helped commemorate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.

Chris first made his name as a light artist in 2004 when he famously created a holographic portrait of Her Majesty the Queen. He subsequently created laser-based images of Grace Jones, Kate Moss and the Dalai Lama. In 2016 Chris headlined the prestigious Park Stage at Glastonbury, working with Charlie Hazlewood and a 45 piece orchestra to deliver Philip Glass’ Heroes Symphony, a special sound and vision tribute to the life and work of David Bowie.

For the Hastings event, lasers were installed on Hastings Pier, Hastings Castle and our own offices on the seafront at Marine Court. These lasers were coordinated with music from sound designer Marco Perry in a spectacular way.

It was a truly unforgettable experience and we were absolutely delighted to be part of it.

As sponsors of the event we had exclusive access to its installation and some of the people that helped make it happen. We commissioned this short film which went behind the scenes to provide the inside story of how Chris Levine lit up Hastings.

Please be aware that this film contains flashing images.

See more from artist Chris Levine on his website.

Learn more about Beaming’s association with the creative arts.