Gibson: Perceptive Light

2018 | Glow Eindhoven, NL & Kolding Light Festival, DK

Light helps us perceive our environment. But what if light itself would start to perceive too? This installation explores this question. Here, light beams are given a sense of touch, so that they can feel the surfaces they light up. By moving around, the light beams scan their environment and respond to what they encounter. This installation is inspired by the work of psychologist J.J. Gibson, who described the inseparable link between perception and movement.

An explorative study with 130 participants at the Glow light festival points out that the light was indeed experienced as perceptive, and even alive. In the pro-active behaviour modes, the light scored high on emotions and intentionality. See details of the explorative study in this article.

Concept and design by Philip Ross, sound design by Joep le Blanc. This work was supported by the TU/e Intelligent Lighting Institute.

First picture by @eu_roman, model @i.am.metamorphosis, other pictures by Bart van Overbeeke.