Exhibition "Eternal Light: Essay on the Sun"

From a divine entity to a crucial role for life on Earth, the journey of the closest star to our planet is the guiding thread of the exhibition Eternal Light – Essay on the Sun, to be inaugurated in the annex of the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center Sao Paulo, on September 14. Five immersive works evoke the poetics of the Sun through digital projections, interactive and contemplative installations that allow visitors to witness the evolution and power of this celestial body so present in our lives and 149 million kilometers from Earth.

The five artists in the exhibition were invited to create the works exclusively (site specific) for the CCBB and used technology and light as the main elements of their creations. “They are different, but they complement each other by creating an ode to the main star in the solar system,” highlights Antonio Curti, curator and co-founder of AYA, a São Paulo-based new media art studio that coordinates the exhibition. “The works in this exhibition illustrate what happens when the Sun, transformed into artificial light and electricity, is incorporated into the mind of an artist,” he adds.

The exhibition has already been on display at CCBB Brasília and CCBB Rio de Janeiro and is sponsored by Banco do Brasil, through the Federal Law of Incentive to Culture.

Accessible language

The participation of Brazilian artists in the exhibition is also a way of showing the power of digital art in the country. “They are part of a new artistic movement of extreme importance,” says Curti. “By using digital resources and light as a support to activate poetics, they engage in dialogue with contemporary aspects of society and with various audiences,” he explains.

In LUZ ÆTERNA – Ensaio Sobre o Sol the language is accessible and democratic, as no prior knowledge of art is necessary to understand the exhibition. “The works capture attention, even in times of so many stimuli. Anyone, of any age, can experience them. This is because the visitor goes from contemplation to immersion, becoming part of the experience”, says the curator.

Interaction and contemplation

In Genesis, an immersive work created by the AYA studio, the history and influence of the Sun, from its origin to its fundamental role in generating electricity, is presented to the public in a projection room. In a playful, immersive and sensorial way, visitors can experience the evolution and power of this great star. The work illustrates how the Sun shaped the universe and continues to impact daily life, technology and sustainability.

Fluido Solar, by artist ErotidesNai, is a participatory work. It represents the search for enlightenment, highlighting the contrast between the unknown and the inner light of each human being. The installation challenges two-dimensionality by floating in the central space of the room. Transforming itself into an interactive mirror, the piece reflects the visitor's journey, inviting them to contemplate their own essence.

Technology and nature

In addition to praising the Sun, the exhibition encourages reflection on its impact on nature, society and sustainability. For example, it proposes a reflective message about the environment, in a playful and poetic way. “We are constantly bombarded with negative news. The exhibition does not have that intention. It is a reminder of the essential importance of the Sun for life on Earth and how people can see its beauty in small moments”, highlights Antonio Curti.

In Perihelion, the sky is captured, reprocessed and projected in real time, like a camera obscura. Concentric clocks are set in motion and the first, an ellipse, has a one-minute cycle, from darkness to intense light, with a sound that works like an annunciation bell. The second lasts an hour and marks the rotation around a circular convex mirror (representing the Moon, which reflects and diffuses the light of the sky into the environment). The third circuit goes from the summer solstice to the equinox.

Sensory celebration

Combining astrophysical and biological elements in a sensory audiovisual experience, Photosphere, by artist Leandro Mendes, shows the dynamics of the solar photosphere with elements and data collected from the universe to create vibrant patterns on a circular screen. With an original soundtrack, the installation connects light and sound and reproduces the intense variation of solar energy.

Céu Zero, produced by Leston, asks what would happen if, somehow, we could capture the horizon line. What would happen if, finally, it was right next to us and at eye level?

“Perhaps this way it would be possible to understand that the sky is not flat, as it seems to us when we look up,” reflects the artist. “And to understand that the things we see do not just happen next to each other, but also one after the other,” he explains. “Perhaps this way it would be possible to see light spreading and dominating space,” he adds.

Service
Exhibition | Eternal Light
From September 14th to November 25th
Open every day from 9am to 20pm, except Tuesdays