Wagnerlicht was presented at the Biennale de Licht Kulture in Frankfurt as a collaboration between McDermott Baxter and German sound engineer David Ferstal. The installation forms part of WAGNER4ELEMENTS, a multisensory interpretation of Wagner’s monumental four‑night opera cycle, distilled into an immersive three‑minute experience.
The work combines projected light, video, and a specially composed soundscape to guide viewers through an abstracted journey of sight and sound. Light sequences echo the emotional and elemental themes of Wagner’s music, while the framed canvas becomes a shifting surface of colour, rhythm, and atmosphere. The result is a concentrated, contemporary reimagining of Wagnerian drama, inviting audiences to engage with the opera’s scale and intensity in a brief yet powerful encounter.
Artist: Ruth McDermott, and Ben Baxter
Collaborator: David Ferstal, Sound Engineer (Germany)
Date: 2016
Medium: Framed canvas, light-source projection and video 3 mins soundscape.
Dimension: 8m x 4m
Location: Naxos Hall, Frankfurt Germany
Naxos Halle is a German art and theatrical precinct.
