With the Olympics about to kick off here in Vancouver, signs are everywhere that the games have arrived and one of my favourites so far has been lighting up the night sky: Vectorial Elevation.

Described as “an interactive artwork that allows participants to transform the sky over Vancouver”, Vectorial Elevation is a series of spotlights lining English Bay that can be controlled through a Google Maps API on the web (and it also has to be one of the coolest ways that anyone can participate in the cultural events surrounding the games). The production can be watched via live webcam, and snapshots are captured, archived, and sent out to each participant who submits a design.

My first contribution (I’ve made two so far) is here pictured below:

What looks to be a UFO cracking through the clouds is actually a serendipitous convergence of the lights (I was really trying to be smart and map out in the night sky one of my favourite runs in the city…it’s a little easier to tell by the lights in the left, or what is the south side of English Bay). If you want to see more, you can check out the full archive of my contribution.

It might not seem like that big of a deal, but there’s something about controlling the night sky, and participating with others who are doing the same, that has a unique way of making you feel like you’re sharing in an experience with others. Hard to explain, maybe that’s why it’s art.

Vectorial Elevation is in town through to the end of the Olympic games on February 28, 2010.