Entity I - An Interactive Light and Sound Installation by Phillip Stearns

Entity - I is an interactive light and sound installation that explores the aesthetics of networked forms inspired by neural networks. Utilizing circuitry that closely models the electrical characteristics of neurons, the work is situated at the intersection of art and science, dramatizing electronic information systems of biological entities, depicting neurological activity as an electrical storm.

Delicate control electronics and incandescent light bulbs are spun together into thick cables of artificial neurological tissue, spreading like a web through space. Each string of lights is part of a single electronic neuron that ignites when stimulated by light or sound. Sensors at the end of each neuron sense changes in the environment and a signal is transmitted in a cascade of rippling light and sound along the connected cord of light bulbs. Mechanical relays used to control the flashes of light produce cicada-like hissing, invoking the sound of insects anxiously vocalizing in the night air in advance of a looming thunderstorm. With many elements participating in the transfer of electronic signals, the work envelopes the senses, inhabiting the space in which the installation is situated, creating an immersive environment.

Individuals can sing or speak to the installation and block light with their hands to interact with the work. The presence of guests influences ambient temperatures, subtly altering the way signals are generated and passed along the network.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Installation Art
• Interactive
• Neural Network
• Light Sculpture
• Electronic
• Art
• Phillip Stearns
• Pixel Form