Being and Heat

2022

Youyang Hu, Chiaochi Chou

electronic part, lightbox, tempered black mirror, optical fiber, metal, graphite panel

Being and Heat looks at human beings from the perspective of“light.” Based on the photoacoustic effect, the installation employs white laser light to transmit the sound of human heartbeat to the black resonant mirror a few meters away, and harnesses the photoacoustic principle to translate the signal back into the initial sound of heartbeat audible to the human ear.

The built-in audio frequency converter will vibrate as the electronic stethoscope amplifies the sound of the tester’s heartbeat. The laser light carries the vibration wave to the receiving end. The resonant mirror that receives the straight light has a graphite-coated film in its center. The incoming light pulse will lead to the instantaneous molecular expansion in the mirror, and the mechanical waves associated with the light pulse ensue. From the light-driven resonant mirror, the viewer can feel the energy generated by the vital signs of humankind: vibrations, heartbeats, and the gentle heat transmitted by light.