A. Lange & Söhne x Sebastian Kite

In reference to the current collection featuring deep-blue galvanised dials, A. Lange & Söhne chose to collaborate with visual artist Sebastian Kite who has interpreted the power of the colour blue in an immersive site-specific artwork, entitled Continuum, at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

The perception of blue

In the visible light spectrum, blue rays have shorter wavelengths and, therefore, carry more energy. Researchers have long been fascinated by how colour is perceived in different cultures and how it can impact our emotive consciousness. When used in architecture, for example, blue tones can inject a sense of calm, which allows viewers to access more relaxed states of mind.

The colour blue is also a source of inspiration for A. Lange & Söhne product developers. Only recently, the Saxon watchmaker launched four timepieces with deep-blue galvanised dials in solid silver. White-gold cases, polished hands and rhodiumed gold appliques accentuate the striking contrast of LANGE 1, LANGE 1 DAYMATIC, SAXONIA and SAXONIA AUTOMATIC.

Intrigued by its imperceptible effects, Sebastian Kite and A. Lange & Söhne created Continuum, an ever-evolving installation that acts as a catalyst to our nuanced psychological and emotional experiences with blue. Approaching art with an architectural background, Kite employs light as a sculptural medium in his artistic practice to investigate how immaterial presences can affect our sense of time and space.

The installation

In Continuum, two projectors face each other at opposite ends of the room with a stainless-steel lattice structure of two-way mirrors and screens stationed in-between. As blue light flows out of the projectors into the 20 metre-long gallery space, a camera sensor reflects and refracts the ambient light creating a dynamic architectural volume that inhabits the room. Sound emitting from two speakers adds another layer to it, with scores consisting of frequencies of around 610–670 terahertz that correspond with the colour’s wavelengths of 450–495 newton metres.

Every audience member who steps into the space affects how light is absorbed and, in turn, influences the installation’s ethereal energy. Mirroring the infinite sensations that blue evokes, the atmosphere made up of tones and textures is in a constant state of flux. In every moment, the interlacing of visual, sonic and physical elements connected to the colour illuminates a new experience with time.

About Sebastian Kite

Sebastian Kite is a London based artist. In his practice he explores the intersection of art, architecture and music, his site-specific installations employ light, sound, projection and performance to illustrate new readings of spaces. Kite’s immersive environments are created on an architectural scale, rooted in the embodied experience and the immaterial. Placing the audience at the centre of the experience, he seeks to disrupt our relationship with the space we live in, demanding a conscious engagement by questioning our perceptions of time. Kite originally studied architecture at The Glasgow School of Art and Westminster School of Architecture.