Lightforest: the holographic rainforest
Betsy A. Connors · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1997
Lightforest is a large-scale holographic work permanently installed at the MIT Museum in Cambridge MA. Organic shapes in the rounded walls and floor of a small room (15 by 10 by 9 feet) frame the approximately 200 white-light transmission or rainbow holograms of fabricated rainforest plants combined with light and image projections. Sound and computer-controlled lighting and the use of motion and proximity sensors enhance viewer interaction. Primary funding of Lightforest came through an AT&T Foundation's New Experiments in Art and Technology initiative. An outgrowth of the project has been the creation of a Holography Teaching Program at the MIT Museum, The Lightforest installation makes important connections between art, technology, education, and the environment.