Foolish Flame is a trans-disciplinary installation by Peter Power and Leon Butler merging performance and technology focusing on contentious frontiers of climate change and our inherited traumatic heritage surrounding them. Wandering between worlds is the Foolish Flame, an autonomous representation of the Will-o'-the-wisp myth, animated and trained on contemporary dance movement and cross-cultural traditional dance archives. This apparition traverses the frontiers, creating moments of synchronicity between real and digital realms, symbolising humanity's fragile relationship with nature and serving as an allegory for natural forces responding to environmental disruption. The installation is scored with Uilleann pipes, electronics and voice, encouraging audiences to respect the delicate balance of ecosystems through physical and emotional connection to equally endangered heritage.

Foolish Flame was commissioned by the Horizon Europe project SHARESPACE and premiered at the Ars Electronica Festival 2025 supported by Ars Electronica Futurelab, Beta Festival, Culture Ireland, The Digital Hub, Once Off Production and Project Arts Centre.

Team 💫

• Lead Artists: Leon Butler, Peter Power. 
• Head Creative Technologist: Cailean Finn
• Artistic and Technical Collaborator: Aisling Phelan
• Contributing Artists: Neonatus
• Music by Peter Power
• Choreographed and performed by: Robyn Byrne
• Uilleann Pipe and Voice performed by: Muireann Ní Shé
• Executive Producer: Maura O’Keefee
• Creative Producer: Aisling Murray