Luftwerk’s Latest Exhibition Explores Light and Color
Le Corbusier’s Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut, with its distinctive crabshell-shaped roof, stands as a beacon of modernist architecture in the French mountainside. The chapel, built in 1955, is perched atop a hill in Ronchamp, surrounded by lush forested slopes. The play of light through the tinted rectangular windows creates a colorful spectacle within the space.
Drawing inspiration from Le Corbusier’s stained glass windows, Luftwerk’s “Open Frame” exhibition at Secrist | Beach showcases a series of rectangular aluminum panels painted with acrylic and fluorescent paint. The installation, bathed in purple light from strategically placed LED spotlights, transforms the gallery space with its luminous glow.
Part of their larger exhibition, “The Sun Standing Still,” Luftwerk’s Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero continue their exploration of light and color. The sculptures and installations in the show delve into color theory, spatial relationships, and sensory experiences, evoking the qualities of sunlight as it interacts with the environment.
One of Luftwerk’s signature techniques is creating works that appear differently depending on the viewer’s perspective. The “Solargraph” series, for example, captures the sun’s path between solstices through long-duration images painted on aluminum strips. As viewers move around the pieces, the colors and shapes shift, revealing new dimensions of the artwork.
In the freestanding sculptures like “Aperture of Twilight” and “Aurae Quartet,” Luftwerk plays with concentric rings and openings to create portals that invite closer inspection. The interplay of light and shadow, color and form, draws viewers into a dynamic visual experience that changes with their movements.
If you’re in Chicago, don’t miss the chance to see “The Sun Standing Still” exhibition, running until February 28. Luftwerk’s innovative approach to light and color is sure to captivate and inspire. Visit their website and Instagram for more information on their work.
As Luftwerk continues to push the boundaries of art and technology, their installations offer a unique perspective on the interplay of light, color, and space. Through their exploration of these elements, they invite viewers to see the world in a new and vibrant way.
