“Do not bodies and light act mutually upon one another; that is to say, bodies upon light in emitting, reflecting, refracting and inflecting it, and light upon bodies for heating them, and putting their parts into a vibrating motion wherein heat consists?”
— Sir Isaac Newton
Seen by the Sun
The Warmth of Attention
Conscious Infrared Beam
2025
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Seen by the Sun is an interactive installation that uses infrared light, a parabolic mirror, and computer vision to channel concentrated heat through artificial awareness. It explores the parallels between heat, light, and attention—each capable of dispersing widely or focusing with precision. The work invites the audience to experience the intense, unrelenting warmth of being truly seen. But what happens when this act of seeing is no longer human, yet artificial?
The work explores thermoception of infrared radiation (i.e. the feeling of light) as a gateway to deeper bodily awareness. Similar to how sounds can only be felt by the body below a certain frequency, so also can light only be felt by the body in the infrared spectrum.
In an era where digital distractions pull us away from the physical, how can we reconnect with our own corporeal presence? Why have so many ancient traditions emphasized embodied awareness? This work invites you to rediscover the intimate dialogue between body sensations and your sense of self, in a time where the entities attending to us are becoming increasingly machine driven.
The Warmth of Attention
Conscious Infrared Beam
2025
Seen by the Sun is an interactive installation that uses infrared light, a parabolic mirror, and computer vision to channel concentrated heat through artificial awareness. It explores the parallels between heat, light, and attention—each capable of dispersing widely or focusing with precision. The work invites the audience to experience the intense, unrelenting warmth of being truly seen. But what happens when this act of seeing is no longer human, yet artificial?
The work explores thermoception of infrared radiation (i.e. the feeling of light) as a gateway to deeper bodily awareness. Similar to how sounds can only be felt by the body below a certain frequency, so also can light only be felt by the body in the infrared spectrum.
In an era where digital distractions pull us away from the physical, how can we reconnect with our own corporeal presence? Why have so many ancient traditions emphasized embodied awareness? This work invites you to rediscover the intimate dialogue between body sensations and your sense of self, in a time where the entities attending to us are becoming increasingly machine driven.
You step into a dark room. Hanging from the ceiling is an artificial sun — like a searchlight casting a red, warm glow. It moves slowly, as if scanning for something. Then, suddenly, it locks onto you. The intensity of the light is tangible. It feels as though attention itself is bearing down on you, and you begin to sweat under its weight.
And yet, your body relaxes in the glow of the infrared radiation. You start to move around, and the light follows you. As if it’s aware of your presence.
You continue into the next room. A large, brightly lit screen stands before you. On it, you see tiny human figures from a bird’s-eye view — like a surveillance feed. As you watch, a red circle appears around one of the figures. Your gaze shifts, and the circle moves with it. The screen is tracking where you’re looking, following the focus of your attention.
And then you realize: it is your gaze that tells the system whom the sun in the previous room should select. The warmth you felt just moments ago wasn’t random. It was someone else, watching you. Your moment in the light was a reflection of someone else’s attention.
And yet, your body relaxes in the glow of the infrared radiation. You start to move around, and the light follows you. As if it’s aware of your presence.
You continue into the next room. A large, brightly lit screen stands before you. On it, you see tiny human figures from a bird’s-eye view — like a surveillance feed. As you watch, a red circle appears around one of the figures. Your gaze shifts, and the circle moves with it. The screen is tracking where you’re looking, following the focus of your attention.
And then you realize: it is your gaze that tells the system whom the sun in the previous room should select. The warmth you felt just moments ago wasn’t random. It was someone else, watching you. Your moment in the light was a reflection of someone else’s attention.
Video documentation by Stimuleringsfonds
This work would not have been realized without the engineering consultancy by Erik Busking from TNO.
Hardware
Parabolic Mirror, 750W Heat Fixture, Pan-Tilt Motor
Software
TouchDesigner
This work would not have been realized without the engineering consultancy by Erik Busking from TNO.
Hardware
Parabolic Mirror, 750W Heat Fixture, Pan-Tilt Motor
Software
TouchDesigner