Hypnotic astonishment facing the immensity of space. Laniakea by Ben Busche / Brut Deluxe

Project description by Ben Busche / Brut Deluxe

The light installation, denominated Laniakea is a site-specific design by commission of the City of Madrid for Plaza Canalejas and Carrera de San Jeronimo coinciding with the termination of the refurbishment and partial pedestrianisation of the area.

The light installation is dynamic with some light motives subtly shifting colours and others pulsating like stars. The installation is inspired by the images of the nebulae and galaxies realised by the Hubble telescope and the feelings that immediately associate at its contemplation: the hypnotic astonishment facing the immensity of space, the infinity of stars and possible worlds mixed with the recorded memories of the real contemplation of the Milky Way, also present but steadily further away and apparently unreal due to the lack of darkness of the night sky in more urbanised society each day.

Laniakea (immense sky) is the supercluster of galaxies that contains our galaxy, the Milky Way. The different light modules represent all kinds of galaxies, nebulae, stars and comets and, in an outstanding way, the star of Bethlehem.

The installation covers 3300m² and is realised with a total of 55.000 LEDs summing an installed power of only 4.6kW. The three spheres with a diameter of 1m are lit with 1.800 LEDs each.