crystal LEGO from mars by studio roosegaarde

crystal LEGO from mars by studio roosegaarde‘crystal’ at EYE film museum amsterdam

‘crystal’, the interactive light installation by dutch artist daan roosegaarde functions as a ‘digital campfire’ where people share their stories of light. the work is comprised of seven-hundred small LED rocks which light up when people interact with them. each crystal is made out of an unique salt which grows in perfect geometrical shapes around the light, wirelessly charged via a special power mat on the ground. once visitors start adding, moving or sharing, the glowing behavior of the crystals changes, creating a sensual relation between people, technology and illumination. a permanent version of the installation will be placed  at an old philips factory in 2013. ‘crystal is the new LEGO from mars’, says roosegaarde. he doesn’t only refer to the spacey design of the crystals, but also to its opensource share-ability. users are invited to come together, activate their own device and share them with friends. ‘people can write letters or icons to share their stories in a very public way… the pieces can be worn as high-tech jewelry or used as  entrance-cards. some cities even want chips installed to turn ‘crystal’ into a special public transport ticket’.

crystal LEGO from mars by studio roosegaarde

CRYSTAL by studio roosegaarde

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