The artist has always been fascinated by stories about the ability of some people to hear the natural VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio waves given off by the northern lights. His research led him to discover the symbolic and scientific significance of quartz crystals. In various indigenous cosmologies worldwide it is believed that these minerals are composed of solidified light and sound waves. Quartz crystals are also known for their piezoelectric properties, i.e. their ability to become electrically polarised under mechanical stress.

A quartz crystal at the centre of the installation receives a beam of light carrying the natural VLF radio waves generated by the northern lights. The light passes through the crystal and reaches a photosensor that demodulates it back into sound. Transcended by light and sound waves, the crystal vibrates and flashes to preserve a phenomenon that quickly disappears from our range of perception due to anthropocentric activity and artificial signals.

Borbála Szalai