NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UK.-Nocturne, the biggest light artwork in Britain, will create a permanent kaleidoscope of colour over the River Tyne from its launch at 9.15pm on April 26. The 360 metre creation by artist Nayan Kulkarni will be born within the enormous steel structure of the QEII Metro Bridge spanning the Tyne from Newcastle to Gateshead. The launch of Nocturne follows an ambitious 18-month £300,000 project to create a new landmark for North East England, a short distance upstream from the world-famous Tyne Bridge and just over the hill from Gateshead’s Angel of the North.

Nocturne – longer then three football pitches – will illuminate the so-called ‘blue bridge’ for at least the next 15 years. Its low-energy LED lights will never repeat the same combination of colours twice as pre-programmed barcodes of colour ripple across the structure, rising and falling in brightness and intensity to match the ebb and flow of the tide.

Millions of people will see Nocturne every year from Newcastle-Gateshead's vibrant quayside bar and restaurant district, from surrounding riverside apartments, offices, roads and railways, including the east coast mainline to London.

Public transport executive Nexus, which operates Metro, has a 30-year-history of investing in public art but this is its largest commission.

It conceived the idea of an artwork adorning its largest bridge to coincide with a regular re-paint to protect the structure from the elements. Nayan Kulkarni, the artist responsible, was chosen following a national competition.

Nayan said: “Cites are living changing places that are animated by their communities. They have changing atmospheres, sounds, smells, levels of energy. Nocturne seeks to reflect this by transforming the way that a substantial piece of engineering is physically and imaginatively located in Newcastle and Gateshead.

“Like the slowly-moving waters below the steelwork I wanted to create a light work that would constantly change so that at any given moment over the next 15 years it will appear to be in a different state.

“These subtle shifts in colour and intensity mean that the QEII Metro Bridge will have a very different relationship to the Tyne Gorge each evening. I hope that the people of Newcastle and Gateshead will simply see Nocturne as a new personality in the city - one that they can influence.”

Thousands of snapshot images sent in by members of the public have been turned into 'bar codes' of colour which will ripple back and forth across the bridge over the next 15 years, with a different colour pattern each night rising and falling in intensity of colour to match the tides of the river below.”

Nocturne was made possible by the financial support of the Northern Rock Foundation, Newcastle and Gateshead councils, the TyneWear Partnership, Arts Council of England North East, Network Rail, CE Electric UK and the Port of Tyne, who between them met the costs of the artwork.

This financial support means that not a penny of the cost has come from the day-to-day operation of Metro, as Nexus promised when the project began.

Fiona Ellis, Director of Northern Rock Foundation, said “With its landmark location, Nocturne’s striking use of technology, colour and light will inspire residents and visitors alike for many years to come.

“Nexus can be proud of its commitment to public art and the imagination it has shown in commissioning work. Northern Rock Foundation’s investment in Nocturne is part of our continued commitment to exciting projects that place Newcastle-Gateshead at the forefront of the nation’s cultural life.”

Ian Stratford, chief executive of Newcastle City Council, said: “The bridges which span the Tyne are recognised around the world and have contributed significantly to the regeneration of the area. In Nocturne we have another unique artistic project which I am sure will achieve iconic status for the QEII Metro Bridge.”

Roger Kelly, Chief Executive of Gateshead Council, says: "Gateshead Council's reputation for public art is known throughout the world, so we are delighted to be able to welcome yet another eye-catching work to the borough.

"I feel sure that Nocturne will turn almost as many heads as the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, but we are particularly delighted because it will blaze across the sky directly above our riverside Sculpture Park - I feel certain visitors will find it the perfect addition to our skyline.”