Beacon

Ben Rubin
Source: Ben Rubin

Ben Rubin

Beacon , ongoing
Co-workers & Funding
Design & Modeling: Michele Gorman / EAR Studio Inc.
Fabrication & Engineering: Marty Chafkin / Perfection Electricks
LED Systems: RGB Lights, Chicago
Documents
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Description
Beacon (2010) is an light sculpture created by media artist Ben Rubin; its animated shapes are based on the unique visual structure of the pages of the Talmud. It was commissioned by the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, where it was permanently installed in November, 2010.

The Talmud is the central document of Jewish law, and it represents a vital conversation that has taken place over centuries. Each page of the Talmud is a unique graphic rendition of that conversation: a primary text is surrounded by layers of commentary, dissent, and counterargument, all arranged in concentric layers around the passage. Beacon animates the Talmud by transforming each page into simple luminous shapes and then moving theses shapes through seven planes of LED light. The result is an illuminated volume, brightest at its core, in a continual state of change.
Source: Ben Rubin
Keywords
  • genres
    • digital animation
  • subjects
    • Religion and Mythology
  • technology
    • displays
      • non-electronic displays
        • books
Technology & Material
Exhibitions & Events
Bibliography