Life has its ups and downs, and so do these seesaws.
Really, the one downside to the sparkling Lumiere festival is that it only graces our streets every other year. Handily, if you’ve been missing the lights – and didn’t get enough of them over at Canary Wharf – these light-up seesaws, one of Lumiere’s best-loved illuminations, have returned to the capital. ‘Wave-Field, Variation F’, which previously appeared under the moniker ‘Impulse’, is in residence at Coal Drops Yard until March 17th, and it looks like a jolly old time.
It’s a prime opportunity to act like an oversized kid, in essence. The seesaws sit there invitingly, bursting with brilliant white light and hum with sound. Once you’ve grabbed a pal or – gasp! – interacted with a stranger, the seesaws burst into a cacophony of sound as you swing up and down. Plus, the more seesaws that are in motion, the louder and more tuneful the music gets.
The official blurb promoting the seesaws speaks of “encouraging encounters and the development of relationships, new and old”, which all seems a bit high-minded for a playground ride. Given the musical aspect, I like to think of it as the easiest possible way to start a band, whilst also having the coolest instruments in town.
They’re free to enjoy, although their popularity may mean you need to wait your turn. No elbowing kids out of the way to be first in line – because if you can’t learn how to play nice, they’ll just have to take them away from you…
Featured image: @kingscrossn1c