A massive sculptural light show uses an apparatus of mirrors to create dynamic light drawings in mid-air in the third and largest iteration of Light Barrier, an installation by artist duo Kimchi and Chips. In it, eight video projectors shoot individual beams of light onto a hive of concave mirrors that, in turn, reflect the light back into the air. In this way, the artists turn the installation’s mirrors into 630 sub-projectors. A large cloud of fog just above the plane of mirrors allows for the light, when reflected into the air, to appear as clear graphic objects or sculptural drawings. If you’ve ever played lightsabers with your flashlight on a camping trip, you’ve created the same visual effect—but on a much smaller scale.
Each mirror and its backing structure are controlled electronically to form groups that concentrate the rays of light to help make a single image. By controlling the originating light source, as well the surface its projected on, the artists can control the structure and body of the drawings being reflected.
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The circle is a recurring image shown throughout the installation’s-six minute performance (below). Kimchi and Chips use the shape as a vehicle to explore themes of birth, death, and rebirth. As the project’s description explains, the artists were inspired by the reaction of impressionist painters to the advent of photography and the concept of “viewer-less” images. The installation creates images that arise from the canvas, or mirror, “creating painting outside of perspective.” In addition to the installation’s visual components, the artists created an immersive soundscape using 40 different audio channels. Check out a video of the Light Barrier installation in action below:
Be sure to check out more works by Kimchi and Chips on their website.
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