Drop of Light

Just another day in the life of a drop of light: it dances, sways, twirls, flutters, hides, jolts and plays. This installation combines displays of fluorescent liquid, ultra-violet laser lights and a lot of math to breathe life into a drop of light.

Dramatic in its execution and unfolding, Drop of Light occupies a unique space spanning sculpture, animation, art, technology and mathematics. The high-tech core at the heart of the installation generates a magical impression, drawing the viewer in through all the senses.

In a darkened room, a succession of droplets falls from an array of nozzles six meters above. Spattering noises accompany the first flashes of light in mid-air as UV lasers hit the streams of liquid. A soundscape swells, sometimes ominous at other times cheerful, as intangible light transforms into illusory orchestrations of three-dimensional shapes that gradually expand, contract or sweep through the dark space.

Drop of Light illustrates the fact that math and magic are never far removed. The idea for the installation originated in 2013 with the wish to create something never seen before: shapes projected in mid-air. A simple wish, because hitting a droplet just right – drops that are falling, moving and accelerating in space – proved to involve a high number of mathematical computations. The creation of Drop of Light required a coming together of specialists and a fusion of their visions and experiences – engineers from ASML and GLOW were also closely involved in the project. Shared artistic, technological and scientific knowledge made Drop of Light come true, but, as artist Gijs van Bon states: the magic was always there.