SouthLight is a (hopefully) annual urban lighting event on the southside of Providence, born out of a six-week RISD Wintersession course. Our studio worked together with many community agencies and local businesses to bring a light display to a poorly-maintained cemetery in one of Providence's poorest communities.
Though it is one of only a few open green spaces in this community, most neighbors described the place as dangerous and worth avoiding, even if it meant a major detour, to get to their destination. Most headstones are in ill-repair, leaning or entirely off their base, even though the interred include famous and historic figures: Rhode Island senators, a famous African-American opera singer, Civil War veterans, and an early feminist. Used condoms, dirty needles, clothes, bedding and graffiti litter the grounds.
An early plan, proposing lighting the established paths through the cemetery, where certain trees act as gathering places where past, present and future intersect.
Perspective rendering, initial concept.
Evening before the installation, sunset.
The gobo through which we projected the project logo on the facade of the gatekeeper's cottage.
