An extraterrestrial light show​ based on musical communication between planet earth and the moon.

To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Steentjeskerk and the 50-year anniversary of the moon landing, the Steentjeskerk will be the stage for “Moonlight”. The installation shows the communicative operation of the broadcast audio messages and the reception of the distorted response in light.

 

Using “Moonbounce”, also known as Earth-Moon-Earth communication, radio signals from the radio telescope in Dwingeloo are sent to the moon. In relation to this year’s theme “Living Colours” tones are added to the radio signal, inspired by the famous melody from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977). The radio signals transmitted to the moon, thus the tones, will be reflected back one by one after touching the irregular moon surface. The lightshow is ultimately determined by what the sound waves encounter on the surface of the moon. Perhaps Neil Armstrong’s footprint?

 

The light installation in the Steentjeskerk shows the communicative dynamics between this peculiar Q and A. With the “Moonbounce” technique, both visually installed through the light show that responds to the composed musical piece of the individual tones (sent and received on October 22, 2019, Dwingeloo) as well as conceptually through the use of moving mirrors, as actual reflectors of the light beams and vibration of the audio.

 

Valerie van Zuijlen won the Foederer Talent Award 2019with her project Moonlight and, in doing so, she has been given a prominent spot on the main GLOW route. For the Moonlight project, Van Zuijlen works together with the Dutch HAM Radio Astronomers Jan van Muijlwijk and Harry Keizer, facilitators of the radio telescope in Dwingeloo, part of CAMRAS. In addition to the realization of the design concept of the lighting installation, van Zuijlen sought a deeper collaboration with choosing a team of professionals. Together they combine forces to realize project Moonlight. The Moonlight team consists of the Eindhoven light artist Michel Suk (light scenario and production technique), media artist Mark Ijzerman(musical composer), mechanical artist Thijs Rijkers(maker of moving mirrors), Jan van Muijlwijk and Harry Keizer (facilitators) & Valerie van Zuijlen(Art director).