British contemporary artist Chris Levine has been a pioneering figure in light and lasers for the past two decades, creating work that lies at the crossover of technology and spirituality. Be it his spiritual portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Lightness of Being, or his lenticular portrait series, She’s Light, featuring a selection of the world’s most famous supermodels, his work transports subjects into an entirely new realm.

This year, Levine returned to Houghton Festival for a sophomore installation of Full Beam. Levine’s ties to Houghton Hall run deep, with the Norfolk mansion housing his highly regarded 2021 solo exhibition 528 Hz Love Frequency. For this year’s instalment at the electronic music festival, Levine continued his exploration into using light to induce a meditative state in his audience. Speaking below, Levine tells us about his introduction to Houghton, the sensory nature of lasers and how the forests of Norfolk make for the perfect backdrop.

Ella Joyce: What is the story behind this year’s work?
Chris Levine: Everything I do is ‘work in progress’, and each step forward informs the next step into the future. A few years ago, I was going to do a big light and sound piece, tuned to ley lines and the cosmos to mark Glastonbury Festival’s 50th anniversary. When Covid cancelled the festival in 2020, “I thought, I’m done with festivals.” Then last year, Lord Cholmondeley, Craig [Richards, Houghton Festival founder] and my son Kit (who told me ‘Houghton is my religion’) persuaded me to do Houghton. When I went to check it out, I didn’t need convincing… It’s quite special, as everyone knows. It’s a thrill to do it and to develop my work. Floating a chrome camper in the middle of a lake and beaming lasers from it, I don’t get to do that too often. It’s a lot of fun.

EJ: This is your third year designing an installation for Houghton; what makes the festival so special?
CL: It’s a bit of a fairy tale for me… My introduction to Houghton came about by meeting the artist James Turrell there. Then at Kate Moss’s 40th birthday, I did some lasers for the party and met David, Lord C, at 3am outside… with Kate dancing in my purple beams under the rain while the rest of the party was rocking inside. He later said that was the moment he decided to invite me to do a show at Houghton. 528hz Love Frequency was the show, and it’s still making waves today. I love Houghton and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to show there. The festival is the icing.

EJ: How does your design process differ when creating for a space such as Houghton Hall?
CL: My process is intuitive and all about aligning with the Divine flow. If it feels good to me, then others seem to get it too. It’s all about the experience of tuning into the present moment.

“When we are given a sensory hit of laser, it takes us into the present moment, and it feels great”

EJ: Technology and spirituality sit by side in your work; how do you see the two coexisting?
CL: It’s really pertinent today with technology imposing itself on our nature. The challenge as an artist working with technology is that the work doesn’t become too sanitised in translation and it can be heartfelt. I use laser because it’s a very pure form of light and if I use it properly, it can induce a brief meditative state in my audience.

EJ: How do you hope people feel when immersed in your work on site?
CL: I’m all about the natural high. There is something profoundly beautiful about light, obviously, but we take it for granted. When we are given a sensory hit of laser, it takes us into the present moment, and it feels great.

“Floating a chrome camper in the middle of a lake and beaming lasers from it, I don’t get to do that too often.”

EJ: You’ve previously created works pushing the limits of sound frequencies and lasers; how do you feel those mediums tie into the setting of Houghton?
CL: Everything is frequency and vibration. It’s all energy, and being surrounded by nature, our natural frequencies can resonate without all the noise, distortion and chaos of modern life. Natural surroundings are a great stage for my work. Last year we aligned the laser with the full moon, and it evoked wonder in many of us. That’s a good state to be in.

EJ: You’ve described your work as sitting at ‘the space between thought’ – can you tell us a little more about that sentiment?
CL: Meditation is a fundamental part of my life and way of working. Much of my inspiration is born out of stillness. In this crazy world, we are overloaded with information and have to process a lot of injustice in these unprecedented times. With my work, if I’m successful, I can induce a brief moment of refuge, the space between thought. When we enter a flow state, immersed in a beautiful sensory experience with our friends. We are feeling and not thinking, suspended in the eternal NOW.