Sound & Light Installation
HALO is an experimental sound and light installation, utilising human perception to explore our physical and emotional response to light. The interplay of our senses, associations, and emotional reactions to colours and sounds have occupied artist and scientists since the 19th Century. HALO follows this path while using the phenomena of the eye’s afterimage to reinforce the perceptual process between the inner and outer realm.
Throughout the installation 6 colours are dedicated their own chapters, where a light sculpturetriggers afterimages accompanied by musical interpretation of the corresponding colour. Can ourperception of the light be coloured by sounds?
When it gets dark after a strong exposure to light, our eyes cannot adapt to the change and the brain continues to receive signals from the retina. We experience this phenomenon known as the afterimage and continue to see moving colourful spots of light. Throughout a continuous change between dark and light, the physiological response gets triggered which allows the audience to explore their very own personal visuals.
The 6-chapter installation is structured according to the visible light spectrum, with the primary and secondary colours each given their own musical interpretation. Thereby all chapters consist of two parts: Charge and Release.
The charging phase is characterised by a static behaviour which overstimulates the nerves of the retina. At the same time the visitors hear an introduction to the soundscape of each colour, a plain sound image. The release phase begins after the light fades, which causes the afterimage to appear in the sudden darkness. The musical texture then start to evolve and spread across the space. Since HALO is an experimental project, the actual outcome is uncertain. Each visitor is encouraged to explore the interplay of their senses in a truly personal experience.
The sound composition builds a dramaturgical arch derived from cultural and personal associations to colours and their physical quality. As we move through the spectrum of light from lower to higher wavelengths, the music intensifies from sine waves to complex and noisy sound worlds.
The 6 colours were interpreted as musical textures to accompany the afterimages and let the listener explore: Can the sound influence our perception of the visuals and vice versa? Do we listen differently in the presence or absence of light?
Our Role
Concept, Production, Composition, Design, Programming
Spatial Mix
monom Sound
Year
2022
