Can You Feel the Breeze? The “Breath Of Air” Kites

So still and serene are the Kites. A delicate design hanging from a sturdy structure, that with just a gentle movement of air turn into a dancing delight.

The Kites created by Def-Proc creative director and founder of Red-Violet Made Jen Fenner collaborated with Def-Proc design engineer Patrick to bring together two fields of expertise, a combination of Textile Art and Engineering and create an interactive installation. They were made as part of an annual exhibition in conjunction with Re-View Textile Artist group in Birkenhead Park Visitor Centre. The exhibition theme and title being Breath of Air called for artists to create works inspired by the feeling of being in open spaces, outdoor landscapes, things that fly including birds and kites and even some fish.

Jen’s Kites were inspired by wind chimes and mobiles. The kite motif fitted in perfectly well with the interactive installation she wanted to create. Using an air sensor combined with an illusion of weightlessness the Kites reflect how they would look in flight.

Hanging daintily on 42 awg copper winding wires from a 6ft high wooden frame looking akin to a chandelier, the installation is made up of 42 Kites, each with their own individual LED light.

Using a very sensitive heated diode anemometer which are triggered when the kites move from just as little as a gust of air from walking past the installation, the LED lights turn on inside the white cotton kites in a randomised sequence of flashes similar to a flickering candle, these continue to flash until the kites come to a stand still again.

The suspended kites hang from a circular clear acrylic girder using laser cut method that was designed to slot together and support itself without glue and also to keep the wired parts of the creation neat and unobtrusive.

Unsuspecting spectators were politely surprised by the installation coming to life and upon realising how it worked had much fun trying different ways to create a wind effect and make the kites dance.