A digital design for life

Nov 3 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

Last year they hit on the idea of a furniture and art installation business, Tyneside-based Aether & Hemera, which uses lighting to create special effects and moods around artwork, buildings and furnishings.

The pair worked alongside the IDI to develop technology that explores ways in which glass, filters, plastics and materials react with LEDs, UV lamps and fibre optics.

They have already been commissioned to create two art installations for a health centre in Cornwall and hope to develop a range of furnishings for hotels and bars.

Gloria says: “There is a deep interest in public art and a lot of support for creative businesses in Teesside and Newcastle.

“When I came to England I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do - I only came to Newcastle because there was a direct flight from Milan - but I am really happy here in the North-east of England.

“Light is a powerful tool which triggers emotions and response, creating a sense of identity or setting a mood. Our business idea can be used in lots of sectors.”

So, too, can revolutionary technology that’s helping industries across the board to trial ideas in a virtual business-to-business community before they commit a single penny to production.

Developed by experts at Teesside University, the technology was initially targeted at large retailers but has been developed to open the virtual world to all sectors.

It will help retailers test out demand for new products and could even put an end to London’s congestion and parking problems.