Crystal: 'Lego from Mars' by Roosegaarde

Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde creates hundreds of light rocks that come alive in the dark        

 

Crystal, the interactive light installation by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde functions as a ‘digital campfire’ where people share their stories of light. The work is comprised of seven-hundred small LED rocks which light up when people interact with them. 

 

Each Crystal is made out of an unique salt which grows in perfect geometrical shapes around a LED. The Crystals are wirelessly charged via a special power mat on the ground. Once visitors start adding, moving or sharing, the lighting behavior of the Crystals changes from ‘excited’ to ‘bored’, creating a sensual relation between people, technology and light.

 

“Crystal is the new Lego from Mars”, says Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde. He doesn’t only refer to the spacey design of the Crystals, but also to its open-source share-ability. People are invited to come together, activate their own Crystal and share them with friends. Roosegaarde: “People can write letters or icons to share their stories in a very public way.” 

Indeed together the Crystals make a great artwork, but what happens when people start taking these Crystals home? “You can share or steal them,” says the Dutch artist. “I see both actions as a compliment.” 
A permanent version of the Crystal light installation will be placed at an old Philips factory in The Netherlands end 2013. Sustainable in their design, the possibilities become endless. “The Crystals can be worn as high-tech jewelry or used as entrance-cards. Some cities even want chips installed to turn Crystal into a special public transport ticket,” says Daan Roosegaarde. “Sharing is the new caring.”