SOUTH KOREA: Namwon Arts Center in South Korea has expanded its creative capabilities with the addition of twenty-four Ayrton Argo 6 FX fixtures, a decision driven by extensive evaluation and a clear preference from the venue’s technical leadership.

Lighting Director Jae Beak Im recalls visiting Hansam System in Seoul – Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for South Korea – earlier this year with a team of City Hall staff and theatre experts to compare multiple lighting solutions. “This may have been the first time I have used Ayrton fixtures but the reasons were very clear to me,” he states. “The Ayrton Argo 6 FX won, hands down, for many reasons: the compact size, brightness of the light source, quiet operation, the effective delivery of its features and all within a reasonable price range.”

The Arts Center is an intimate venue with just over three hundred seats and a compact 20m-by-15m stage beneath a 13.5m ceiling height. The selected fixtures also needed to serve various other cultural spaces across the complex, supporting everything from educational events to youth programmes. The Argo 6 FX quickly proved its versatility. “Argo 6 FX has a vast array of features,” continues Jae Beak Im. “For me and what I wanted to achieve, the most impressive are Liquid Effect and Infinite Rotation. It has such a wide zoom range, from 4° to 56°, that, in addition to its wash capabilities, I am able to engage a huge variety of graphic effects using the Liquid Effect, yet still apply dynamic movements throughout the stage with Infinite Rotation.”

For the technical team, the decision was equally clear, with Ho Seong Son noting that Argo 6 FX’s robust construction, extensive feature set and adaptability make it ideal for the wide spectrum of theatre, concerts, exhibitions and corporate events hosted at the venue. “The versatility of Argo 6 FX enables us to cover all theatre, concerts, exhibitions and corporate events, and its robust build quality reduces long-term maintenance costs,” he explains. “Also, the IP65 rating should not be overlooked – as an arts centre, the ability to use our outdoor spaces with confidence is very important to us. And, from the technical team’s perspective, I think the modular design makes it easy to maintain, which is especially suitable for complex spaces such as art centres.”

Since their installation, the fixtures have already been deployed by numerous visiting lighting designers across an eclectic range of productions. According to Hansam System’s Se Hoon Park, the results have been universally well received. “The visiting designers have all highly appreciated that the same units are able to produce such a wide range of looks, from intimate moods to intense energy, as productions can range across all genres from the modern to traditional and cultural productions. With such a wide zoom range and excellent colour detail, the fixtures offer a degree of freedom of expression not often available to visiting designers.”

Hansam System supplied the twenty-four Argo 6 FX units and continues to support the venue closely. As Jae Beak Im concludes, “I am very comfortable with the speed of service and technical support we have received from Hansam System. I am very satisfied with the whole journey, from making the initial choice of Argo 6 FX to the delivery and operational status. This is a service that feels like a ‘partnership’ rather than just a sale.”