Astrophysical Light

Cecilia Bengolea’s Astrophysical Light (2023) is a holographic video installation that explores ‘cosmo-choreography,’ a new genre that applies cosmology and astrophysics to dance and choreography. The 3D-video, holographic installation is inspired by the encounters, gravitational movements and eventual collapse of two massive stars, such as supernovae. It features a choreography of bodies that meet, move around each other and then fall apart.

The installation explores how forces in the universe make elements such as galaxies, stars and cosmic dust attract other elements. This attraction causes the elements to collapse, creating light. From this, Bengolea suggests we can draw parallels with human DNA, which is made of elements that originated from the stars—such as oxygen, nitrogen and phosphor—and is released back into the cosmos once it collapses.