UZ EVENTS UZ ARTS

Home – the International launch of the Kelpies

Home, which took place on the 17th and 18th April 2014, was the international launch of the Kelpies and the Helix, and also marked the beginning of The John Muir Festival, UZ Arts’ festival which celebrated the opening of the new John Muir Way and the great man’s life and legacy. 

With specially commissioned pieces created by Scottish, homegrown artists, the 10,000 strong audience took a night-time promenade on a circular route through the Helix park. Along the route audiences encountered the illuminated installations and projections, all taking inspiration from Muir’s quote “going to the mountains is going home”, and creating an atmospheric link between the outdoors and feeling at home. 

At the top of the park, halfway round their journey, audiences encountered their first ever glimpses of The Kelpies, Andy Scott’s 300 tonne, 30 metre high horse heads, which were spectacularly lit by internationally renowned pyrotechnic experts, Groupe F. Groupe F created an entirely unique and one-off show to celebrate the Kelpies, including fire jets, illuminated characters walking the ground beneath them, and incredible light projections which animated the heads, all brought together by an atmospheric soundscape. 

Our Home artists were:

Gavin Lockhart | Susan Castillo | Alex Rigg | Guy Veale | Groupe F | Gutty Slippers | Light Refreshment | Kenny Bean | Neil Butler | Duncan Turner

See our youtube page for our Home and John Muir Festival video documentation, shot by Alan McAteer Photography.