FIREFLIES is a sound and light installation composed of more than 300 individual firefly objects. Motors, micro shakers, foil, and paper create an acoustic environment in which synchronization becomes physically audible across the space.
Our Role Concept, Production, Design, Programming // Metal Suspension Jan Bernstein // Hardware and Firmware Development Mickey Van Olsen // Year 2022
Fireflies is a sound and light installation consisting of more than 300 suspended firefly objects distributed throughout the space. Each element emits light and vibration patterns that evolve collectively over time, creating shifting constellations of movement, sound, and synchronization.
Every firefly contains a motor that produces vibration as it activates. Two additional micro shakers extend the acoustic behavior of each object, while foil and paper wings amplify and shape the resulting textures. The installation uses the physical properties of these materials to create a layered acoustic environment directly from the objects themselves.
The synchronization process becomes perceptible through sound as individual pulses gradually align into larger coordinated waves. As patterns emerge across the installation, the acoustic field changes from isolated mechanical gestures into dense collective movement distributed throughout the room.
We developed the concept, production, design, and programming for the project. The installation was realized without external amplification, allowing the sound to emerge entirely from the movement and materiality of the firefly structures themselves.
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