Redefining Lumia

For each of us reality reveals itself as a combination of fragmented moments, an ever-shifting present. A multiplicity of viewpoints that is not taken but assumed, transient to itself, neither real nor unreal.

Thomas Wilfred (1889-1968) defined Lumia as an expressive art form that uses form, colour and motion evolving in dark space, unaccompanied by sound. His work consisted of projecting light patterns on a flat white screen. The present project pushes Lumia towards the tridimensional space.

"In Praise of Shadows" is a silent suite of luminal art, performed by the light instrument 9:1. The composition is informed by the dark adaptation phenomenon that occurs in the human eye and profoundly inspired by the essay written in 1933 by Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. The video was filmed and edited by Diego T. Freijeiro. Warning: it has purposely no sound.

This installation has been thoroughly documented on the following research paper. The system is run by a bespoke max/msp program available for download here.