derstrudel

kerzenlicht kirmes

candles, spinning wheels, bimetallic balances and solar powered synthesizers are used to create a magical little universe of interactions. suspended on top of this world are the heads from overhead projectors that cast light onto the surrounding walls and that create images of this little universe. little pick-up microphones are attached to the floor of this world and they are used to amplify the sounds that result from the interactions of the different elements.

the spinning wheels transform the heat from the candles into a rotation. the little balances move as they are heated into a position where they cool down again, the cooling makes them move back, they become heated and twist back again. the solar powered synthesizers transform the light energy into electric energy that is used to create an oscillation with a very simple feedback circuit. all these devices produce cyclic patterns, they oscillate and they softly interact with each other. sometimes when the balance twists back it may touch the spinning wheel and interupt its rotation, or sometimes the spinning wheels may collide, and continously the rotation of the spinning wheels modulate the amount of light hitting the solar panel of the synthesizers. all in all these interactions create unpredictable deviations from the cyclic patterns of each element alone.

this world with its oscillations and interactions  is transformed into sound, rhythm and beats with little pick-up piezos and it is transformed into image through the lens of the overhead-projector. both sound and image are an abstraction of the real and yet artificial world on the screen of the overhead projector.

technical setup

the installation should be installed in a separate room with dark painted floor and walls. although variable, ideally there should be four suspended overhead projector-heads oriented to each of the 4 walls. the distance from the projector-head to the wall should be around 2 meters. the distance of the projector head to the floor is about 40 cm. below each of the heads is a 35×35 cm metal sheet on which are mounted the components and the candle lights. below one the metal sheet is hidden a small battery driven amplifier and loudspeaker system that amplifies the sounds from the pick-up microphones.