Ode aan het Niets

The nothing machines in the installation 'Ode to the Nothing' catch a signal from the air which they convert into a current to produce sound.

This project started with Mats' fascination of all the invisible networks and signals that are around us and make sure that everything we want to do is possible. The television seems to produce images out of nothing. The radio produces sound from a signal in the air and an e-mail arrives in a fraction of a second.

The nothing machines are based on the crystal radio. The devices catch a signal from the air and produces a current with this signal to convert this same signal into sound. The installation shows the almost magical powers of the networks and signals that are all around us.

This project is a reflection on our energy usage. Each transmitter sends out signals in every direction and not directly to antennas. This means a lot of wast energy is constantly transmitted and not used. What if we could harvest this energy and power small applications with it? We would use the energy we already spent. Instead of producing more energy for our growing demand, we should look closely to what we already have.

Photography

Kristof Vrancken

ODE AAN HET NIETS