Zohar Concept

“I want to experience it, take my shoes and socks off, walk through, touch the screen, and lay down.” —Juror Raymond Barberousse, Studio PGRB

Based on research concerning the effects of light and sound frequencies on the human mind, body, and psyche, Zohar Concept’s eponymous, meditative light art installation, which debuted in Budapest, Hungary, takes viewers on a journey through their own minds and past experiences. After entering a dimmed waiting room, guests navigate through a bright, narrow passageway that opens into a voluminous space that is pure white in color and absent of corners.

Guests situate themselves in a meditative position. The installation’s focal point was a pulsing spot light that aims to emulate the sun and its positive effects on all living organisms. The sun’s changing colors and levels of brightness coordinate with music. Upon completion, guests reported feeling refreshed and with a transformed mind.

In its entry, Zohar Concept quoted the feedback of several viewers, including this one: “[The] short glimpse-like illuminations provided just enough time to make the light bounce back from my eyes, my retinas, and when it instantly turned back to darkness, I saw an eye. I looked at my own eyes, or more likely the reflection of my eyes. I knew that my eyes were real, and that my act of looking was real too. These few seconds really left me with a metaphysical experience, where I could not decide who looked at what, and made me realize the relativeness of reality and the power of human perception.”

Details
Project Name: Zohar Concept
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Lighting and Installation Designer: Zohar Concept, Budapest, Hungary • Agapeh Allahverdi, Amanda Szabó
Sponsor: Solinfo Lighting Embassy
Sound Artist: Davin Youngs
Photographer: Adam Polhodzik

Project Size: 190 square meters (2,045 square feet)
Project Cost: $3,400
Lighting Cost: $3,400
Watts per Square Foot: 32
Code Compliance: N/A
Lighting Product Manufacturers: N/A

• 2020 AL Light & Architecture Design Awards

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