Media landscape and virtual reality co-construct space: Research on the evolution of light environment art paradigm

[Abstract] Using paradigm-related theories to study the development and evolution of light environment art is an important part of the construction of a disciplinary theoretical system. There are four main paradigms of light environment art: functional paradigm for the purpose of environmental lighting and illumination; landscape paradigm for the purpose of environmental beautification and visual emphasis; media paradigm for the purpose of information dissemination; and post-humanistic paradigm for the purpose of constructing a harmonious symbiosis between man and the environment and creating a co-constructed space of virtuality and reality. The definition and analysis of the evolution of the four paradigms can provide theoretical guidance for the interdisciplinary integration of my country's light environment art practice and innovation, and clarify the path and direction for the construction of this discipline.

[Keywords] Light environment art; paradigm; media landscape; virtual and real co-construction

1. Light environment art and paradigm research

What are we talking about when we talk about light environment art? For a new discipline, we always have to face such scrutiny and questions.

The term "light environment" originated from architectural environmental engineering, which is a branch of science that studies the theory and practice of light and related factors in architecture. Since the late 1980s, domestic research on light environment has gradually deepened in two dimensions. Based on engineering, some researchers first devoted themselves to the study of the impact of light environment on agriculture, forestry and other related fields, exploring light environment in poultry breeding①, forest management② The functional utility of light in other fields has been explored in the study of the utility of light on non-human bodies; secondly, scholars such as Gao Lutai, Chen Zhonglin, and Xi Yucheng have studied the impact of parameters such as lighting level, glare, brightness distribution, light and shadow, light color, and color appearance on the visual environment③, and have tried to conduct cross-research on the environmental utility of light environment with psychology, ergonomics, visual environment and other disciplines④. Light, as an architectural aesthetic and modeling element, has also received attention from some scholars. It is proposed that the light environment, as an "add-on" to architecture, has the function of enriching spatial content, decorating space art, and setting off the atmosphere of space. ⑤The overall direction of light environment research in developed countries including the United States also shows a development path of transition from architectural lighting engineering to architectural lighting design. There is a “trend from illumination calculation to aesthetic evaluation, from quantity to quality”⑥.

In response to China’s urbanization process and changes in lighting technology since the end of the last century, Communication University of China took the lead in establishing an undergraduate program in light environment design in China in 2013, proposing that light environment design “as a public information carrier and public art action, is an interactive landscape between people and the city”⑦. As our understanding of this subject gradually deepens, we believe that light environment art integrates art, media studies, communication studies, new media technology, media environment studies and other related disciplines. It is a new interdisciplinary subject that studies the concepts and technologies of "light" media in real or virtual spaces to achieve functions such as visual satisfaction, information dissemination, artistic presentation and cultural carrying, as well as other related elements. Light environment art focuses on constructing a four-in-one light and shadow space of "art + humanities + technology + ecology", and is extensively and deeply involved in the construction of public spaces in the fields of night image planning and design, cultural tourism night tour light environment design, large-scale exhibition visual perception design, and virtual light environment art design. This kind of understanding and positioning allows "Light" to gradually transform from an accessory and passive participant in environmental design to a "me-centered" value mining and cultivation direction. At the same time, There is an urgent need for relevant research to keep up with practical progress and develop in the direction of building a theoretical system and theoretical framework.

From the perspective of disciplinary research, how light is discovered and utilized by humans, especially the practice of light environment art creation in recent decades, lacks a historical and systematic review, which is a prerequisite for establishing a theoretical framework. How to sort it out, paradigm research provides a good path and theoretical basis. The American philosopher of science Kuhn T. S. proposed the concept of "paradigm" in his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" and believed that a paradigm is essentially a theoretical system. ⑧The study points out that paradigms “are concepts, methods and scientific systems recognized and accepted by the scientific community”⑨, “providing model problems and solutions for members of this scientific community in a specific historical period”⑩, “Only by obtaining a clear and binding ‘paradigm’, the development of this scientific field will mark its maturity” I1. "After the 'paradigm' is determined, the research of the scientific community does not have to start from scratch. New and old members will study the new issues raised by the 'paradigm' on the basis of the 'paradigm'. They can conduct in-depth research on the most cutting-edge major issues in the field, thereby gaining more knowledge, solving more problems, and improving work efficiency." I2 The "paradigm" mentioned here , can be understood as: looking at the development of research objects in a certain field historically, systematizing, conceptualizing, and modeling mature experience and stage characteristics in practice to form a universally recognized knowledge framework and system, providing background and reference for the raising of new issues and the development of new trends. For the emerging discipline of light environment art, the theory of "paradigm" and related research methods can help to deeply understand the characteristics and models of light environment art in different development periods, focus on the evolutionary trends shown in industry practice, build a cognitive framework and theoretical system, and enable closer interaction between theory and practice, thereby providing theoretical support for the development of industry practice and finding a clear direction for the cultivation of urgently needed talents.

2. The evolution of the light environment art paradigm

The transformation of the domestic light environment art paradigm is driven by human needs as the core and based on the technical iteration of light media tools. It should be noted that paradigm evolution is not simply the replacement of the old with the new. Different paradigms can coexist at the same time. This process shows the gradual deepening of understanding and practice.

(1) Functional paradigm

The functional paradigm, in short, means function first, that is, any design must ensure the full realization of product functions and uses. Louis HSullivan, a representative figure of the Chicago School, put forward the slogan "form follows function". The revolutionary significance of the discovery and utilization of I3 light lies in its visual function, which allows people to gain a larger safe space for activities. The functional evolution of light mainly revolves around the iteration of light sources. Chinese and Western scientists have studied the laws of light more than 2,000 years ago and summarized the principles of specular reflection and pinhole imaging of light. With the development of "wave optics" and "quantum optics" as well as photometry and colorimetry, the basic theoretical framework for modern light source research has been laid, and related research has further expanded the possibilities of light in functional applications. On the basis of theoretical research, light sources continue to improve in terms of light efficiency, color rendering, and service life. In the past 40 years, the emergence of semiconductor light sources has produced revolutionary breakthroughs in terms of reduced energy consumption, smaller size, spectral flexibility, and ease of control. It has enabled the function of light to meet human needs to a higher degree and created opportunities for broadening application fields. A wider space.

Compared with other paradigms, the research path in the functional paradigm places more emphasis on quantitative research and empirical research, and has higher requirements on participants, experimental equipment, and experimental environment. Regardless of whether at home or abroad, most of the units engaged in relevant research are universities or research institutions with strong engineering discipline systems, and because the functionalist paradigm itself involves a wide range of disciplines, scientific research units often have a clear focus when conducting research. In China, for example, Tsinghua University has carried out research on lighting color and other aspects; Tongji University has maintained its advantages in the field of light source research and healthy lighting; Tianjin University has been engaged in research work on the measurement, evaluation and application of image digitization methods for many years. I4 abroad, such as the Philips Lyon Outdoor Lighting Application Center in Lyon, France, and the Rensselaer Lighting Research Center of the Rensselaer Institute of Technology in the United States, rely on the cooperation of schools, enterprises and governments to carry out research projects including architectural lighting and light source technology. Multi-dimensional functional exploration such as development, light and health, and human factors research. I5 In recent years, with the deepening of interdisciplinary interdisciplinary research, relevant research has emerged in more subdivided directions, such as research on "crime-prone" spacesI6, research on the behavior of organisms in light environmentsI7, research on human settlement health in light environments, etc.I8, involving many fields of biology, medicine, efficacies, psychology and physiologyI9. It can be said that the research on functional paradigm provides necessary theoretical basis, empirical research and technical support for relevant practical activities.

In the category of light environment art, the functional paradigm seems to be "far away" from art, but it is the basis of all the more "artistic" paradigms developed later. What's more, art comes from life, and life-oriented scene lighting is also the background of many artistic works.

(2) Landscape Paradigm

The word “landscape” refers to different things in different contexts. When landscape corresponds to landscape, it usually refers to the visualized scenery at the material level, including natural and artificial; when landscape corresponds to specta⁃cle, it tends to the philosophical level, pointing more to non-material existences such as symbols and images. The landscape referred to in this article includes the connotation and extension of the above two aspects. The landscape paradigm is the inevitable result of the development of the functional paradigm to a certain stage. It emphasizes that light is not only an accessory "brightening", but also an active "beautification"; it not only serves the "appearance", but also transmits the "connotation"; while highlighting the aesthetic value, it also gives deep cultural significance.

In light environment art, the landscape paradigm has both spatial attributes and cultural attributes. In terms of spatial attributes, light has become an important means to serve the spatial structure, texture presentation and decorative effect of the building. As Louis Kahn said: "Light and space form a resonance, and designing space is to design light." 20 The spatial light environment design of different landscapes is more subject to people's activity needs and aesthetic needs. Its visual quality and the resulting field characteristics significantly affect people's psychological experience and further trigger various human behaviors. Cultural attributes are broader, specifically the expression of night scenes and night images, which are the projection of political, economic, humanistic and other realistic demands and historical accumulation on the visual level. Since the 21st century, there have been two development directions for the lighting and beautification of urban nightscapes in China. The first is the construction of urban night images, which are rendered by the arrangement and rendering of multiple iconic landscape groups to show the national style of political peace and cultural confidence. Representative scenes include the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai World Expo, G20 Hangzhou Summit, Guangzhou Asian Games and other large-scale political and cultural sports events; the second is the excavation and presentation of regional context and cultural symbols to provide economic benefits. It provides high-quality spatial support for cultural and cultural activities, empowers the cultural tourism industry, and expands the night tour market. This is mainly reflected in the characteristic night economic zones that are vigorously created in various places, such as the ancient capital charm of Xi'an, the leisure resorts of Chengdu, and the 8D Magic City of Chongqing. They attract a large number of tourists to check in at night and become another beautiful business card of each city.

At a stage when the number of urban light environment projects in my country is rapidly expanding, the landscape paradigm has gradually exposed many problems. For example, the random stacking of visual symbols (dragon and phoenix shapes), the "power aesthetic" decided by Party A, the "greed for bigness and foreignness" of copying foreign city templates, and the "brightness comparison" between buildings to compete for the visual focus at night have all become manifestations of the blind development of landscape paradigms. In the process of transformation of light environment art paradigms, the contradictions between different paradigms have become increasingly apparent. Some concepts of the landscape paradigm even go in the opposite direction to the functional paradigm. For example, the abuse of floodlighting not only causes the overflow of brightness energy efficiency, leading to glare pollution problems, but also causes a waste of electrical energy. Urban overlight increases the background brightness of the sky due to the reflection of suspended matter in the air, and may even affect astronomical observations and the habitat of birds and insects, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of urban ecology. The use of color templates, such as blue light symbolizing tranquility and green light symbolizing ecology, are often contrary to the viewer’s expected feelings. In particular, cold colors such as blue, green, and purple are projected on the facade of a building over a large area and for a long time, which can cause discomfort. twenty one

(3) Media paradigm

With the changes in information communication technology, light environment art has shown a trend of evolving from tools to media. When people lament that the cries of street vendors and the fragrance of food stalls in the past are becoming increasingly difficult to perceive in the city, media facades and advertising light boxes are flooding the streets and alleys. People's reality and physical perception of urban space are further replaced by visual perception. Experiential media technology (experiential technolo⁃gy)22 with light and vision technology as its core transforms the city into a visual-led perceptual space, presenting a "non-place" feature. With the ubiquity of information dissemination, spatial environment (not limited to buildings) is becoming more and more common as an information interface, and its functions are becoming more and more strengthened, realizing the combination of digital landscape and urban environment, especially buildings (groups). We call this presentation of light environment art a media paradigm.

Media paradigms have been around for a long time. In the prosperous Shanghai Beach in the 1930s, neon lights flashed every night and became a symbol of the times. At that time, neon lights were mainly used to highlight store names. This was an early use of light for information dissemination. Today, this function is also very common and will not be described here. Here we focus on analyzing the trend of information presentation in urban interfaces that has suddenly emerged in recent years and received widespread attention.

Compared with the landscape paradigm, the media paradigm has shifted the focus of light environment art from "visual focus competition" to "content presentation" to a certain extent. The media paradigm can be at the scale of the city image, such as the "one river and two banks" light show that appears in large numbers in various places. The representative Hangzhou Qianjiang New Town light show consists of 700,000 LED lights and is installed on the facades of 30 high-rise buildings along the core area of ​​Qianjiang New Town. It plays elements such as natural landscape, humanities, architecture and Hangzhou logo in turn to form a huge picture. The information conveyed by the mediatism paradigm can be literal, such as slogans on landmark buildings during various festivals; it can also be non-literal, including the shape, color, and dynamics of light environment art, all of which convey information. The Empire State Building in the United States has a famous lighting ceremony, and it often lights up in Chinese red during the Spring Festival to show the importance of Chinese tradition.

The macro-scale media paradigm of light environment art overlaps to a considerable extent with the landscape paradigm, which we call "media landscape". This term not only emphasizes the characteristics of the light environment as a communication interface, but also considers that buildings and landscapes with such interfaces are often huge in size and eye-catching in shape. The information they carry is not focused on quantity and timeliness like general mass media, but on the monumental existence that attracts attention and is shocked. As some scholars said: "Determining a prominent position in the outline of the night has become a subtle but powerful form of advertising." 23

The media paradigm has also brought some negative effects on architecture, such as the building losing its own characteristics and breaking away from its functionality. The load-bearing, thermal insulation, lighting and other functions of the wall are replaced by other equipment and facilities such as frame structures, screens and images, becoming a pure plane serving the vision. However, many image contents are the same, which does not reflect the uniqueness of the communication content. It is of little help in constructing the image of the region and city, cannot achieve the desired communication effect, and the input and output are lost.

(4) Posthumanism Paradigm

Posthumanism is relative to humanism since the Enlightenment era. Posthumanism is to “challenge the ontological and ethical distinction between humans and non-humans”24.