Sunbeam, Captured, 2023

Boris Acket’s Sunbeam, Captured (2023) is a light installation that recreates a ray of sunlight reflecting off a body of water for 15 minutes. Inspired by the ephemeral beauty of everyday life, the work attempts to capture a fleeting moment by reproducing Acket’s personal observation of a rain puddle reflecting a sunbeam.

In a darkened room, visitors watch white light strike a shallow layer of water, which refracts colored beams in a dynamic light play. Under the basin sits a mirror designed by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis (b. 1985) that enhances this interaction, reflecting warm to cool hues along the Kelvin color temperature scale. A system of linear actuators generates gentle waves in the pool.

As the artwork’s multipoint lights mimic the sun’s daily journey, visitors are invited into this perpetual pocket of time to observe transient sunlight and contemplate finding joy in the mundane.