Meet the Artists Behind Immersive Light Sculpture Affinity

Talented design duo Amigo Amigo have bought their incredible immersive light sculpture Affinity to Auckland. The amigos, Renzo B. Larriviere and Simone Hua, have been working together creating light sculptures since 2012. They have been apart of Vivid, Sydney's kaleidoscopic festival of light, music and ideas, for the last three years, which really is the perfect space to showcase their incredible light sculptures. Situated in Aotea Square from September 6 - 22, Affinity is inspired by Alzheimer's and intends to bring awareness into how the disease works on the human brain. When stimulated by touch, the installation's interconnected orbs set off a display of sound and light, representing the rapid-fire transmission of messages between neurons.

We had a chat with the team to find out how they work and their inspiration behind working with their medium.

Have both of you always been into art and design?

We studied industrial design together at UTS, so we have always had a strong relationship with design. I (Renzo) also have a background in sculpture from a fine arts school in Peru. We are really interested on how form and light can transform a space and create a visual and tactile experience.

What spawned your creative endeavours initially? And do you have any key mentors or influences?

We started working together after finishing uni. We were both working in different industries, but we knew we wanted to work together. The company name actually comes from a nickname we had for each other. We called each other "amigo" which of course means friend in Spanish. It was Sim's way to make me feel less homesick!

There are many people out there we admire, for example the talented Bruce Munro, Olafur Eliasson, and Chris Wood. There is a particularly amazing art collective creating remarkable work called White Void. Would be great to work with them on a project.

Do the two of you work well creatively together? Does it come naturally or is it more of a push and pull to get the pieces to where you are both happy with them?

Design or art can't exist in a vacuum, so whether you are doing consciously or unconsciously you are always being affected and influenced by other individuals or collectives. You need the feedback and constructive criticism that challenges your ideas so they can develop and progress further. We have a good balance because we can be honest about our opinions without killing each other. While we have different skills and personalities the collaboration comes organically, we don't really have a formula, it just flows. Once we both find the idea that will work we almost instantly agree on it. I think the combination of our different personalities and design styles compliment each other, and that shows in our work.

At what point do you think you really developed your personal aesthetic/s and was there any overwhelming influence that helped created it?

It is an ongoing and never-ending process, so we are still developing our personal aesthetics signature. I think the more we do, the more we learn and we keep on refining our work. We like to push boundaries and experiment with different materials. Our work is very varied and we tackle each project with fresh eyes trying to partake something different and meaningful each time. Light is a very strong medium and influence in our work. We try to keep educating ourselves with new light technologies and experimentation. A great advantage has been partnering with LED manufacturing company OnLED, which has been instrumental in the electrical engineering of our work. We work with a great team of people, they all contribute their particular skills to the project and make it all the better.

Did you both always want to work with light and sculpture? What are the main restrictions with that type of media?

I always had an affinity with sculpture, I was initially studying to be a sculptor. Simone's background in light theory and manufacturing sealed the deal. We found that light can add so much depth to a piece and enhance it tenfold. It's such a versatile and interesting medium in its own right. It's really limitless. If you can think it you can make it. Most limitations will come in the technical and logistics arena, where technology hasn't caught up to imagination. But that's when you can get creative about a solution!

Is there anything you feel you can only portray with the use of light and technology? What have been benefits working with this media?

Light and technology are of course tools and medium. We definitely think that light is a more versatile and accessible medium than others. We do seek to harness the power of imagination and colour that light allows. Particularly because it allows you to use shadows (negative space or lack of light) as a second dimension.

Is there a piece you have done that you a most proud of and which was it?

We are always looking ahead learning from what we've done; trying to improve and make better, bigger, bolder beautiful designs. But I think Affinity has to be up there. Probably the most fulfilling elements are that we are raising awareness for Alzheimer's disease while still making it an immersive and colourful experience that a multitude of people can engage with at once. It's probably one of our boldest and most fun pieces.

What has your experience been with Vivid? I imagine it's quite a stressful set up?

We still have nightmares. Nah, it's a really good experience and invaluable learning curve. One of our very first sculptures was for Vivid Light Festival 2013 called Bones. It was activated by people playing an adjacent drum that would trigger the speed and intensity of the lights. The festival is an open canvas of creativity, it lets you explore different ideas and test them in the public. It is interesting to see how different people will interpret your work and interact with it. The organisers of the event are absolute rockstars and promote a very creative environment which is very important for this kind of endeavours. We would recommend the festival to any experienced or emerging artist out there. You will learn quickly that weather and children are a powerful force of nature, so build tough!

How was Affinity influenced by Alzheimer's?

Affinity was based on the interconnectivity of the brain. It is comprised of a series of interconnected light globes. There are 114 points of interactions in the sculpture; when you press these interaction points light streams shoot out within and throughout the piece. Each light stream represents our memories travelling throughout our brains. We were lucky enough to get Alzheimer's Australia involved in the project incorporating soundscapes from different Australians affected by the disease, including patients themselves, their families and carers. We then incorporated soundscapes from New Zealanders when the sculpture visited Auckland.

Was it a process or did you instantly know what you wanted to do with the theme and inspirations?

It is definitely a process. Affinity was originally commissioned by Destination NSW for Vivid Light Festival 2015. We wanted to bring S1T2 into the project, a digital agency we had work with for our Ray sculpture for the previous Vivid Festival. The collaboration had worked well and we knew we would come up with a strong theme and concept together. We wanted the piece to have a storytelling element, and since it was based on the concept of interconnectivity the connection to the human brain, Alzheimer's disease was a logical and appropriate progression for us. While we wanted to raise awareness for the disease, it was important that it was done in an engaging way. Where people could feel immersed in the sculpture and interact with it within a colourful and tactile experience.

What's next on the agenda for Amigo Amigo? Do you have any other big projects coming up?

We are expanding our design service range to commercial and residential spaces. At the moment we are creating a cloud installation for a new wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne. Another project for City of Sydney, two massive sculptures are coming up very early next year. We've been asked not to disclose any more details just yet, but keep an eye out for Sydney's Chinatown and the Opera House during the Lunar Lantern Festival and you surely won't miss them.

In regards to Affinity, we've got plans to keep on touring it. We've got some interest from festivals in Asia and Europe so hopefully we'll see it lighting up once again.

Affinity will be at Aotea Square from September 6 - 22, 2016.