The stars are dead but their light lives on
In a dark exhibition space, data processing triggers countless light bulbs to the rhythms of exploding supernova, and the sounds of stars being swallowed by black holes slowly erodes the slick surface of magnetic audiotape. The Stars are Dead but their Light Lives On is an exhibition including audio, light and text components that respond to the gap between the death of a star and the cessation of its light. By animating the audio and light components with material largely drawn from astronomical databases, this work engages in the reinterpretation of specialist knowledge and the potential of repurposing archival stock. By exploring the persisting after-image of a dying star, this project also brings to light the philosophical and ethical implications of how events that appear to be vastly distant have tangible impacts that echo across time.
Exhibition text by Nives Hajdin
Exhibition review by Gabby Moser
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by Canada Council for the Arts and developed during a production residency at Eastern Bloc