LONDON.- United Visual Artists present Deus, their first solo exhibition, from 3 - 26 June at The Smithfield Gallery in London. United Visual Artists (UVA), established in 2003 by Chris Bird, Matt Clark and Ash Nehru, are a London-based art and design practice creating large-scale light-based installations. UVA creates more than mere spectacle; their work is about people. Their work aims to create a powerful social experience, turning the audience into active participants. The relationship between space, the performer and the audience is at the very heart of United Visual Artistsʼ practice.

Having worked at the interface between, design and art, UVA present their premiere exhibition of still images at The Smithfield Gallery, London, distilling their live creations into a single moment. These images continue their investigation into the emotional effects of light within a diversity of landscapes and environments.

Deus is a photographic exploration of the seductive quality of artificial light in the natural world. This body of work grew from an extended study of form and experiments on how a powerfully illuminated presence affects the surrounding environment.

As urban dwellers we are attuned to illuminated space; so with Deus we decided that all of the post-industrial natural locations we explored would be devoid of this artifice. The work can be read as a deadpan comment on the sleight of hand inherent in all ʻworshipʼ.

UVA: “We are fascinated by the notion of light as a presence, how it changes the way people feel about the space around them, and their relationships with others.”

Previous art installations by UVA include; The V&A and Sony Playstation commission 'Volume' which was the first major installation for the museum's John Madejski Garden; the work is currently touring internationally. 'Volume' won the D&AD yellow pencil in 2007 for interactive installation and featured in the 'Designs of The Year 2008' show at the Design Museum, London.

United Visual Artists have received commissions from Tate Modern, The British Council, The British Library, HSBC, Giorgio Armani, MTV, Nokia, Nuit Blanche Paris, onedotzero, Opera North Projects, Prada, Sony Playstation, The V&A London, Vivienne Westwood, Warp Films and Yamaguchi Center for Arts & Media [YCAM] Japan.