It was goodbye Light ADL and hello ILA (Immersive, Light & Art) as the West End venue unveiled its new branding and identity this week – alongside the premiere of locally made immersive digital-art film Anomalous.
ILA chief executive officer Nic Mercer said the changes were being launched at a time of “tremendous advancements” for artists and performers, and what he described as a new age of art.
In 2024, the venue would “evolve to a new level to be true leaders in immersive light and art in Adelaide”, he said.
“ILA is more than just a rebrand; it’s more than just a changing of our logo – it’s a repositioning of who we are and what we bring to the marketplace and how we support artists.”
Light ADL was launched in 2021 by entrepreneurs Sophie and Nick Dunstone as a multi-faceted venue and now incorporates performance and events space The Lab, The Light Room gallery and studio, and Aurora restaurant.
The latest changes, which are accompanied by a new-look website, include the launch of an artists’ fund to support new work by both emerging and established artists.
Anomalous, by SA creatives Richard Coburn and Justin Astbury, is one of the first projects supported by the fund and was designed specifically for The Light Room’s 150sqm of LED screens.
Based around a company called the Logan Group, which is attempting to create and market a new future using artificial intelligence technology, Anomalous is a satirical – sometimes unsettling – film. With a run time of 40 minutes, it is perfectly suited to the immersive space and features a cast of 16 actors alongside experimental digital art, 3D and 2D animation, and other storytelling devices such as screen grabs and rolling social media comments.
Mercer told media representatives at a special screening of Anomalous on Thursday that it offers an insight into ILA’s new era, with plans already in place for another show at the end of the year.
“The next generation of art is about experiencing things – experiencing things in a way that catches the memory and moves the soul – and that’s what we want to do moving forward,” he said.
Anomalous is screening now in The Light Room (details here). ILA will also be presenting an expanded Adelaide Fringe program this year.