Beat

Artists: Arup Singapore Pte Ltd (Chengyu Wang / Cherry Agnes Narita)
Collaborators: Dan Foreman, Rob Tsu, Ying Sun, Sudhir Bommu, Michael Markieta, S1t2 (Chris Panzetta and Naimul Khaled)
Country: Singapore

Beat comprises a series of large translucent shapes that emit an intense pulsating light display when touched, timed to the rhythm of the human heart.

Initially, the work appears to be a group of inert objects that throb slowly with a relaxed pulse of light. Those in the vicinity may be intrigued by their gentle demeanour and indulge an instinctive impulse to touch one. Touch stimulates the objects to respond, by connecting them to the person’s heartbeat. The objects increase the intensity of their pulse to keep pace with the individual’s own cardiac rhythm.

Participants delight in gratifying their curiosity and discovering the concept of this installation. Eventually, they allow it to rest – until the next touch wakens it again.

The creators of Beat utilised a luminance lighting technique involving a small low-power LED light source to internally illuminate the translucent material. This creates a large glowing surface area with maximum impact and minimal light loss. Sensors housed inside the objects detect a human pulse through the fingertip and trigger the LED to replicate the participant’s heartbeat with a pulsating light.

The installation, while fun, inclusive and lighthearted, performs an important role in creating awareness of how simple lighting can promote controlled use of energy consumption. It also taps into the energy of the festival and makes Vivid’s heart Beat.