'Nature On' transforms the Botanical Garden of Madrid into a magical luminous spectacle

This emblematic natural space in the center of Madrid has focused its theme on nature this year, which is accompanied by more than one million Led lights, mapping and sound effects created by the production company LetsGo, with Fluge equipment.

Until next time 10 January 2021, the doors of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (RJB-CSIC) open to offer a safe outdoor leisure offer in the Christmas period –Nature On-, with an innovative and magical light art show, mapping and sound, called Flora, and focused this year on nature.

After last year's success, this natural environment is transformed again by the hand of the producer of shows LetsGo, with the participation of your team, formed by Felype de Lima, responsible for creative direction and Max Award 2015 for Best Costume Design, and Eduardo Valverde, in lighting design.

Inspiration and innovation

For this year's show, LetsGo has been inspired by innovative international projects, as Japan's digital art museum teamLab bordeless (more data in Digital AV) or Foresta Lumina, created by the multimedia specialist Moment Factory, a project carried out in Canada that uses the latest Led and visualization technologies to tour the forest at night in a spectacular and immersive way, also published in this daily.

Opened a few days ago, this beginning of the Christmas activity in Madrid, I count on the presence of the president of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Rosa Menendez Lopez; the director of the Royal Botanical Garden, Esteban Manrique Reol; the delegate of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Madrid City Council, Andrea Levy, of the Councilor for Tourism of the City of Madrid; the CEO of the production company LetsGo, Iñaki Fernandez, and the general director of the production company The Factory, Almudena Maíllo, who is also involved in this project.

The act was accompanied by a carol interpreted by the students of SOM Academy Junior, the first school of musicals and performing arts in Spain, created by SOM Produces.

As Iñaki Fernández pointed out, "We are happy to present this show made in LetsGo, where artists and technicians have participated who right now did not have work because we have all the shows closed (The Hole, Dirty Dancing, The Adams Family, and so on). More than a hundred people work in this project, including AV technicians, artists and capacity controllers".

Technology at the service of nature

Flora is the show of Nature On, created for the enjoyment of all audiences and with the security guarantees established by the pandemic. Light sculptures of large flowers and the most representative species of the Botanical Garden, more than twelve mappings distributed along the route (a little more than 1 Km.), trees that seem to come to life, are accompanied by a soundtrack created specifically for the project.

"Nature On it is a unique opportunity to live a magical immersive experience in a natural space -point out its managers-. A night walk where the visitor is the protagonist, in a natural environment where life lights up in the city centre. Embarking on this adventure will invite, at the same time, to discover a rich biodiversity".

For its staging, an impressive lighting display has been designed, for which Fluge has supplied more than one million colored Led Lights, united by more than 30 km. wiring, with assembly by Eduardo Valverde.

Among the equipment supplied by Fluge, it is worth mentioning more than 200 Led pair with IP65 protection; more than 100 IP color swimsuits, 300 IP65 VDO Martin, 30 Q7 IP65, 28 K20, 13 VL3500, 14 XBeam Prolight, 12 Robe Megapointe, 4 mirror balls, 3 12w Kvant laser, 24 smoke machines (Steal, Viper, MDG). The lighting control is done with two Command Wing tables and a GrandMA2 full size table of MA Lighting.

Six projectors are used for mapping and visual elements, of 6.000 lumens each with wide-angle optics, and two teams of 20.000 Lumens, all protected for outdoor, that are controlled with two software systems Dataton Four-exit, three-Qlab Wachout.

In addition, spread throughout the space, a sound control composed of 68 loudspeaker and 8 subs liabilities, strategically concealed in the nature of the Botanical Garden, made by sound designer Víctor Tomé, according to the original soundtrack created for this show.

As they point out from Fluge, "the technologies that make this proposal possible respect the environment at all times and awaken environmental awareness in the route that visitors make".

"We have created giant animated flowers that, thanks to technology, we give you textures, colors, Sounds… We have also assembled a Tunnel of sensations, where we recreate the rain, fire, snow, the sea…, the Garden of Fireflies; the Passage of Desires, and more", points out the CEO of LetsGo.

Secure environment

To adapt to the current situation, this year the entire Royal Botanical Garden has been opened, some 30.000 m2 outdoors, in order to avoid crowds and bottlenecks so that visitors make a quiet tour with all security measures.

In this sense, and following the regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, at the entrance of the enclosure gel dispensers have been installed and the use of the mask is mandatory throughout the tour, and with staff who help maintain a safe distance.

The show will be open until the 10 January 2021 (except days 24 and 31 December), Monday to Sunday, of 18:00h a 23:00H, with passes every fifteen minutes and a reduced capacity.

Other articles on Madrid City Council, Dataton, Fluge, The Factory Productions, LetsGo, MA Lighting, Martin, Nature On, Royal Botanical Garden Madrid, Steal, SOM Produces