Royal Observatory of Edinburgh | Tent Gallery | 20.3.11 – 21.3.11
The exhibition, Somewhere in Time: Syzygy, was created in response to research carried out at the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh, facilitated by Professor Ian Robson. The subsequent project is part of an on-going dialogue with the Royal Observatory and was initiated on the 20th March, at the time of the Spring Equinox.
During the Spring, or Vernal, Equinox, the sun crosses the equator travelling northwards and when this occurs, the length of day and night are expected to be equal. The Equinox is about the relationship between light – and its absence. It marks a transition, or point of balance between light and dark, an interval between contrasting states. Further than this, the Equinox causes temporary disruption of communication satellites, which become eclipsed by the earth’s shadow. For all geostationary satellites, there are a few days around the Equinox when the sun goes directly behind the satellite relative to earth for a short period each day. Interference from solar radiation, or sun outage, interrupts or degrades satellite signals for up to one hour.
Working with data from the sun outage calculator, information from satellites directly connected to Edinburgh were studied and the resultant information displayed in white text on the windows of the Tent Gallery. The exhibition is to be observed from the outside of the gallery and exists for a 24 hour cycle. In the space behind the data-filled glass is a spotlight, which is reflected by a glass wall behind it, creating the appearance of two reflective pools of light. At certain times of day, when sunlight enters the gallery space, the data on the windows casts a shadow on the floor of the gallery. Two works comprised of shadow and light.
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