Toronto lights up another week: Luminato and TELUS extend Pulse Front due to overwhelming demand from Torontonians

Toronto, ON – The world premiere of Pulse Front: Relational Architecture 12 has captured the hearts and minds of Toronto. In response to overwhelming demand, TELUS has decided to extend its sponsorship of the biggest interactive light sculpture in the world from renowned artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and extend its run for one more week so that Toronto can continue enjoying the innovative merger of life, art and technology.

Pulse Front: Relational Architecture 12 is a cornerstone of Luminato, Toronto’s Festival of Arts & Creativity, taking place through June 10 in communities and venues across the city. Pulse Front, a free event located across Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, will now run through to June 17.

“Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s original pairing of art and technology sparked the skies over Toronto, and Torontonians have responded with delight,” said Joe Natale, president, TELUS Business Solutions. “It’s our pleasure to support this one-of-a-kind experience for another week and ignite a deeper appreciation of creative innovation among Canadians. TELUS’ partnership with the Luminato Festival reflects our commitment to supporting local initiatives in arts and culture in Toronto and to helping the communities in which we live, work and serve.”

Pulse Front: Relational Architecture 12 is the new searchlight piece by acclaimed Mexican-Canadian electronic artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. The groundbreaking installation uses 20 robotic searchlights, 200,000 watts of power and includes displays of up to 20 metal sculptures positioned along Toronto’s harbour. Each piece is installed with a biometric sensor. When a participating spectator grabs the handles on the sculpture the sensors convert their pulse into beams of light in the sky, visible up to 15 KM away. The life force of honoured guests at the TELUS-hosted event May 31 launched the beating matrix of searchlights.

Janice Price, CEO, Luminato, said, “With the support of TELUS, Pulse Front communicates the meaning of the festival: the collaboration of organizations, communities and audiences to explore and celebrate the creative spirit. We’re thrilled that it is being extended and we thank them for their generosity.”

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is a Montreal-based electronic artist that creates large-scale interactive installations encouraging public participation. His innovative pieces are both award-winning and commissioned for events internationally. Pulse Front is his newest piece in a series of works controlled by heart readings. Toronto is the first place that his work displays on an urban scale.

TELUS is providing $5,000 to Zerofootprint to offset the environmental impacts of Pulse Front. Zerofootprint is a not-for-profit environmental organization that works to inform and offset the environmental impacts of consumers and businesses. Funds go towards forestation projects to help counteract high carbon dioxide emissions.