DROP of LIGHT
Just another day in the life of a drop of light: it dances, sways, twirls, flutters, hides, jolts and plays. This installation combines displays of fluorescent liquid, ultra-violet laser lights and a lot of maths to breathe life into a drop of light. Dramatic in its execution and unfolding, Drop of Light occupies a unique space spanning sculpture, animation, art, technology and mathematics. The high-tech core at the heart of the installation generates a magical impression, drawing the viewer in through all the senses.
In a darkened room, a succession of droplets falls from an array of nozzles six meters above. Spattering noises accompany the first flashes of light in mid-air as UV lasers hit the streams of liquid. A soundscape swells, sometimes ominous at other times cheerful, as intangible light transforms into illusory orchestrations of three-dimensional shapes that gradually expand, contract or sweep through the dark space.
Drop of Light illustrates the fact that math and magic are never far removed. The idea for the installation originated in 2013 with the wish to create something never seen before: shapes projected in mid-air. A simple wish, because hitting a droplet just right – drops that are falling, moving and accelerating in space – proved to involve a high number of mathematical computations. The creation of Drop of Light required a coming together of specialists and a fusion of their visions and experiences. Shared artistic, technological and scientific knowledge made Drop of Light come true, but, as artist Gijs van Bon states: the magic was always there.
The tech behind DROP of LIGHT is unique. By shooting a laser at a falling droplet, the droplet flashes. A 5.5 meter wide and 1.5 meter deep matrix of 2048 droplet generators supply drops to be flashed. These flashes are controlled and animated into scenes with dynamic forms and flows.
In November 2021 DROP of LIGHT saw its first light publicly at the Glow festival in Eindhoven. As one of the most popular artworks, thousands of people were amazed by the illusions and complexity that this installation exudes.
DROP of LIGHT was made in close collaboration with ASML and GLOW Eindhoven
In a darkened room, a succession of droplets falls from an array of nozzles six meters above. Spattering noises accompany the first flashes of light in mid-air as UV lasers hit the streams of liquid. A soundscape swells, sometimes ominous at other times cheerful, as intangible light transforms into illusory orchestrations of three-dimensional shapes that gradually expand, contract or sweep through the dark space.
Drop of Light illustrates the fact that math and magic are never far removed. The idea for the installation originated in 2013 with the wish to create something never seen before: shapes projected in mid-air. A simple wish, because hitting a droplet just right – drops that are falling, moving and accelerating in space – proved to involve a high number of mathematical computations. The creation of Drop of Light required a coming together of specialists and a fusion of their visions and experiences. Shared artistic, technological and scientific knowledge made Drop of Light come true, but, as artist Gijs van Bon states: the magic was always there.
The tech behind DROP of LIGHT is unique. By shooting a laser at a falling droplet, the droplet flashes. A 5.5 meter wide and 1.5 meter deep matrix of 2048 droplet generators supply drops to be flashed. These flashes are controlled and animated into scenes with dynamic forms and flows.
In November 2021 DROP of LIGHT saw its first light publicly at the Glow festival in Eindhoven. As one of the most popular artworks, thousands of people were amazed by the illusions and complexity that this installation exudes.
DROP of LIGHT was made in close collaboration with ASML and GLOW Eindhoven
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