Lumen 2024, Taichung, Taiwan

Our sense of time and space, the permanent and the transient is an enigma that can both comfort and trouble us. Art and science can help navigate, elucidate and express wonder of the known and the unknown. Lumen is a 10 metre diameter stainless steel and aluminium sculpture which was recently installed in the heart of Taiching, Taiwan. It aims to create an environment which allows the audience to dream, reflect and ponder on our ever evolving relationship and understanding of space. This is an inter disciplinary collaboration where Wolfgang worked with NASA, Professor Martin Bencsik, astrophysicists, musicians from the UK and Taiwan. 

Live signals from 2 x NASA satellites which film the surface of the sun are transmitted back to the Earth 24 hours a day. These signals have been processed to trigger a live light and soundscape within the sculpture. Thousands of perforations have been laser cut into the surface of the artwork to create an accurate star map of the night sky above Taichung.  

The idea is to emotionally connect the audience to themselves, the site and space. 

The lightscape and soundscape are ever evolving. No moment is ever the same. 

soundscape: Karman Line Collective 

structural engineering: Simmonds Studio 

Client: JUT 

photos: @meichen