Atom by Christopher Bauder and Robert Henke

This large-scale audio-visual experience by Christopher Bauder and Robert Henke used algorithmic choreography to transform a room into a dynamic, immersive environment. The work references and continues the legacy of kinetic sound and light installations that date back to Duchamp, László Moholy-Nagy and the various New Tendencies groups. These were critical predecessors to digital art, which Frank Popper highlights extensively in his book Art of the Electronic Age. For this work, an ensemble of white, self-illuminated balloons, suspended like the atoms of a complex molecule, floats throughout the space. These helium-filled balloons are connected to a computer-controlled system that adjusts their height and internal illumination through dimmable, super-bright LEDs, turning each sphere into a pixel within a three-dimensional matrix. The installation is accompanied by a four-channel sound system that emits deep, evolving noises synchronized with the rhythmic movement and changing patterns of light.