“Ikhet”, which translates to ‘Glorious Light,’ is the Ancient Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid of Giza. The pyramid, originally coated in smooth, polished white limestone, is said to have reflected the sun’s rays so brightly that it was a beacon of inspiration and awe from miles away.
This installation inspired by the ‘Glorious Light’ integrates a multi-channel sound collage with audio-reactive LEDs to create an experience that engages viewers via light, spatial sound, and haptic feedback (vibration). The dynamic lighting which changes color and pattern in sync with the experimental sound piece, immerses the audience in a multi-sensory experience that they will see, hear and feel.
Field recordings made between 2019 and 2022 along with experimentations in analog audio synthesis and hardware samplers were combined to create textures, noise, beats, and tones that reflect the artist's personal feelings of resilience, anxiety, grief, and frustration, during a period of unprecedented change.
Provided diffraction glasses offer an enhanced kaleidoscopic effect for the participant - similar to a prism, splitting light into its component colors. When the viewer moves their head to the beat, they encounter a low-tech interactive experience with the artwork.
Concept/Sound Design/Lights/: Ali Santana
Fabrication: POPKRAFT