Outside the Box
A site-specific light experiment between Manhattan and Brooklyn
click to play the video
We began beneath the Manhattan Bridge, trying to capture the subtle tremors caused by passing subways. At first, the effect was underwhelming. The vibrations didn’t ripple enough through our setup, and the light remained mostly still.
Then, by chance, I was holding an empty bottle in my hand as a train thundered by. The bottle trembled against my palm — a small but magical discovery. That moment reframed the entire project. We started working with the bottle as our main medium, filling it with water and placing it on top of a flashlight inside an open box.
Each train produced its own pulse — different rhythms, different intensities. Still, the tremors below the bridge weren’t always strong enough. So we moved onto the bridge itself, where the vibrations became undeniable. There, every train turned into a visible pulse of light.
The Work
The installation was simple: a bottle of water, a light beneath it, a frame to hold it in place. When the trains passed, the vibrations rippled through the water, distorting the light and projecting shifting patterns.
The work became less about what we built, and more about what the site offered. The bridge itself — its steel, its endless crossings, its nonstop rhythm — was the real performer. The water became a medium for visualization: making visible the invisible pulse between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Personal Reflection
I’ve always been someone who leans on technology to enrich my work. Stepping away from devices and systems, I initially felt lost — as if without tech, I couldn’t create.But this process taught me something different: that simplicity holds its own power. By listening to the environment and letting it shape the work, I discovered a new way of making. The bridge, the trains, the water — they became my collaborators.
This project reminded me that sometimes, art is less about control and more about noticing, responding, and allowing the world to resonate through us.