Are They Angels
Are They Angels
2023 - 2025
Wood, LED, Satellites, Computer, Software
A suspended sculpture consisting of 85 wooden circles. It utilizes real-time satellite positions to control integrated lighting elements. The work explores parallels between internet celebrity culture and the veneration of false deities, portraying satellites as modern-day angels spreading the messages of digital age prophets.
The first video shows the Processing window, which shows satellites traveling above the latitude and longitude coordinates where the physical sculpture is located. The green area represents a 12.5º radius from the center coordinates, and the blue a 25º radius. I wanted to capture the ground track paths of satellites that were directly above the latitude and longitude of the sculpture, and not the entire visible sky.
Each satellite has an area of influence around it that controls the hue and brightness of LED pixels near it. The blue cross hair you see is part of a quadtree that I'm using to keep processing lower, since this program is running on a 2012 Mac Mini.
I show each satellite's ground track path in the visual, that is, the points where it enters and exits the 50º diameter are of interest. This line is proportional to the altitude of the satellite; lower altitudes have shorter paths while higher altitudes have longer paths.
I'm also showing the name just for fun.