Spectrum Slit (2026)

Spectrum Slit is a sculptural installation that renders visible the otherwise imperceptible electromagnetic activity that permeates contemporary interior spaces. While a room may appear visually calm and silent, it is continuously traversed by dense fields of radio-frequency transmissions generated by wireless communication technologies. This work exposes that hidden layer of reality by translating radio wave activity into light(and sound) in real time.

The installation measures radio signals primarily within the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands frequencies used by Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, and other domestic wireless devices. Using a software-defined radio, the piece continuously scans these ranges, sampling signal strength across the spectrum. This data is processed live and mapped onto a linear array of 64 luminous filaments arranged along a U-shaped steel structure, visually echoing scientific frequency plots. Each filament corresponds to a specific segment of the measured spectrum, its brightness directly driven by local electromagnetic intensity.

The resulting display is dynamic and situational. At moments of low network usage, the sculpture emits faint, intermittent light, reflecting the ambient background noise of an urban environment. As wireless activity increases—through web browsing, video streaming, messaging, or connected devices—the filaments surge and saturate, forming dense bands of intense illumination. The sculpture thus becomes a temporal portrait of collective digital behavior, shaped by the rhythms of daily life.

Spectrum Slit invites viewers to reconsider the apparent stillness of technological spaces and to confront the invisible infrastructures that sustain contemporary communication. By making the electromagnetic spectrum perceptible, the work reveals a persistent, energetic environment—an artificial yet omnipresent storm generated by human activity.