The very first Robe SPOTE lighting fixture sold in South Africa is being used amongst the oldest fossils and artifacts in Johannesburg! It can be found at the Origins Centre Museum, a museum at Wits University in Johannesburg that celebrates the history of humankind, and which covers topics relating to paleoanthropology, archaeology, rock art, and the indigenous Khoisan communities.
Gavin Oliver and the team from Digital Fabric were recently appointed to upgrade the museum’s lighting control system, which incorporated a Visual Productions control solution. The upgrade also required a lighting source to be used as a podium spotlight within the largest of the museum’s venues. Both the Visual Production equipment and the Robe Spot were supplied by DWR Distribution.
“I looked long and hard for a fixture that could do what I needed it to, and it had to tick quite a few boxes,” explained Gavin Oliver from Digital Fabric, a company that specialises in heritage work and attractions internationally. “Firstly, Origins had a small museum budget, so the price was important. At the same time, I wasn’t going to buy something unreliable. I wanted a quality brand, it had to be LED and it had to be able to fulfill the optical requirements as we are solely using the fixture as a podium spot.”
The Robe SPOTE is one of the latest offerings by Robe Lighting, a compact unit ideal for a smaller venue, fast and feature-packed. The unit has been designed for dynamic effects and projections, produces 2.700 lumens of clear, white light, and uses Robe’s transferable engine technology. The fixed beam 16-degree lens has remote control focus and can be changed to the optional 24-degree lens for shorter throw and low ceiling scenarios. The dynami effects package includes a color wheel with 13 dichroic filters; gobo wheel with 9 fully indexable, rotating, replaceable gobos; 8 facet bi-directional rotating prism and a 5-degree frost for silky smooth washes.
“It’s surprisingly bright for what it is,” said Gavin. “One could argue that the Robe SPOTE is underutilized at the museum, and I suppose it is, but it’s really a great way to get a few programmable podium positions in a venue and it’s quick. At the touch of the Visual Productions Cue Core system, you have lighting where you need it. The Robe SPOTE met all the requirements even though we are not using all its functionality as a moving head. “
Robert Izzett from DWR believes the fixture should be dependable for the next ten years at the very least and the LED technology means very little maintenance will be required for the future. “The Robe SPOTE is permanently mounted and while it is working as a podium spot, it is also able to project a gobo image which may be useful when hosting an event at the museum. Over the year’s we’ve always loved the opportunity to work alongside Gavin Olivier at Origins, no matter how big or small the project. The curators have to be commended for continually working hard to raise funds to preserve the old while keeping up to date with the latest technology and making the heritage site appealing to visitors. It’s definitely worth the visit and it’s right on our doorsteps.”
Photos Credit: Amanda Esterhuysen
