The Cycle of the Day and Night
The Cycle of Day and Night is an interactive park installation inspired by “Tactical Urbanism in Baltimore Yields Safer Streets, Inspiring Art” by Ben Abramson and “This Unique Light Art Installation is Subtly Raising Awareness About Light Pollution” by Swita Uancharoenku. Like the tactical urbanism projects discussed by Abramson, the installation is designed to physically live within the park and use art to change how people experience the space. The installation discussed in Through the Looking Prism, it also uses the environment’s existing light rather than relying on additional artificial lighting.
The structure consists of curved overhead bars holding silhouettes of native Ohio animals, insects, and plants. During the day sunlight passes through the silhouettes and casts their shadows onto the trail. As the sun moves, the shadows change, creating a constantly shifting representation of the species active during the daytime. As the sun sets these shadows gradually disappear and a second group of silhouettes embedded into the pathway begins to glow. These figures represent nocturnal species such as bats, moths, and owls. This creates a visual transition between the daytime and nighttime ecosystems, showing visitors that when the sun goes down, nature does not stop it just becomes a different ecosystem.
My installation would also demonstrate the effects of light pollution. The nighttime silhouettes would be intentionally subtle. So, they are easiest to see when the surrounding environment is naturally dark. As artificial light increases, the glowing figures would become harder to see, allowing visitors to experience how excessive lighting can interfere with the nighttime environment (Tom, P., 2026). Signs at both ends of the installation would explain the daytime and nighttime species and the importance of natural darkness.
References
Abramson, B. (2023, June 27). Tactical urbanism in Baltimore yields safer streets, inspiring art. Strong Towns Archive. https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/6/27/tactical-urbanism-in-baltimore-yields-safer-streets-inspiring-art
Glow in the Dark Powder & Glow Paint Superstore. Glow in the Dark Powder | Glow in the Dark Paint | Glow Shop. (n.d.). https://www.technoglowproducts.com/
Hattori, Y., & Uancharoenkul, S. (2025, February 23). This unique light art installation is subtly raising awareness about light pollution. D5 MAG – Design Magazine. https://d5mag.com/this-unique-light-art-installation-is-subtly-raising-awareness-about-light-pollution/
