United Visual Artists' Always/Never Uses Light To Explore Our Perception Of Time

United Visual Artists are known for their monumental light pieces and experimental artworks, like the epic LED sculpture Origin, which they collaborated on with Scanner, and which toured our events in 2011.

This piece, which featured at the Gazelli Art House exhibition “Let There Be Light” in London last September, is a more subtle affair. But while it may not have the pulsing presence of Origin, it’s no less stunning, utilizing light to explore our perception of time. Called Always/Never, the design was inspired by the sundial and features triangular forms made from powder-coated steel, along with timber and LEDs. An algorithm that controls the light ensures the display is constantly in flux, so that it imitates the changing nature of light throughout the day.

Here’s how United Visual Artists describe the piece:

Always/Never is the result of UVA's recent investigations of the perception of time. Always/Never is a grid of pyramidal elements inspired by the sundial, each passing through time at a different rate. Changing patterns of light and shadow create the illusion of a fluid surface; shifting combinations of colours from nature recall different times of day.

You can find out more about UVA in our short doc on them below and also watch a documentary on their installation Origin.

UVA

Origin

[via Design Playgrounds]

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