spectra [barcelona]

White light is one of the purest forms of transformation from electricity. We see a pure state of energy. 64 powerful lighting devices are projected vertically up into the sky. The sculpture of light can be seen from all points in the city, its illumination changing constantly as clouds pass by. As visitors approach, their eyes receive colour information instantly and intensely, making the installation almost invisible when faced with this extreme brightness. At the base of the sculpture, visitors can walk through the grid of light, which is filled with sinewaves. These waves are ultra-pure, forming invisible sound patterns whose source is indecipherable to the ear. The sinewaves emitted interfere with one another as visitors walk through the grid, causing subtle oscillations around the ears of each individual. Thus, a musical score is created for each person as they move through the space, offering an entirely unique and personal experience. In the evening, Ryoji Ikeda presents two performances of his latest audiovisual work, test pattern [live set], in the gardens of the Teatre Grec. Through a real–time computer programme, a test pattern converts Ikeda’s audio signal patterns into tightly synchronised barcode patterns on screen, floating and convulsing in darkness to a stark and powerful, highly synchronised soundtrack. The speed of the moving images is ultra–fast, some hundreds of frames per second, so that the work provides a performance test for the audio and visual devices, as well as a response test for the audience’s perceptions.