The project explores the invisible presence of subatomic particles arriving from deep space. Although cosmic rays pass through us and our surroundings every day, they remain entirely imperceptible to our senses. This installation acts as a translator, detecting these high-energy particles in real time and transforming them into physical pulses of light.
Conceptually, the work examines the invisible forces that shape our reality. Using a cosmic ray detector, particle events are recorded in real time. Each detection sends an electronic signal to a microcontroller that operates the integrated LED strips. The installation visualises these events by bringing together chaos and structure. It may manifest as the illumination of randomly distributed LEDs, symbolising the unpredictable nature of quantum and cosmic phenomena, or as a rapid flash of light travelling along the LED strips like lightning, evoking the imagined trajectory of a particle moving through space.
By focusing on the kinetics of light, the work highlights the gap between scientific observation and aesthetic experience. The viewer is confronted with visual evidence of cosmic events that are constantly taking place around them, yet remain beyond direct human perception. The project is transdisciplinary, combining particle physics, programming, and light installation, thus directly responding to the Device Art Festival’s call to explore devices as mediators in the creation of new perceptual fields.