Danny Bazo, Marko Peljhan, Karl Yerkes
Installation
2nd floor, room 2003
Somnium is a robotic and audiovisual installation that provides visitors with the ability to contemplate and experience exoplanetary discoveries, their macro- and microdimensions and the potential for life in our galaxy. At the center of Somnium sits a round glass disc that has been laser etched with an image captured by the Kepler Space Telescope (KST). The image contains hundreds of thousands of stars. A robotic microscope slowly travels the surface of the disc, displaying the microscopic view to visitors using large-scale wall projections. The exact location of the microscope within the starfield is tracked and correlated with luminosity measurements taken by the KST. These measurements, called "light curves", are converted into sounds that immerse visitors in an ever- changing wash of audio corresponding to the stars they see projected around them.