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Particle Shrine

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Submitted By: Christo Squier

Elevator Pitch

Particle Shrine

Particle Shrine is an immersive installation that utilises bespoke technology to transmute live cosmic ray data into a range of kinetic, audio and visual outputs.

Product Description

How It’s Innovative

The goal is to create a sense of presence to these vital yet hidden forces around us. To provide an immersive, tangible feeling around particle physics.
Sonification and the use of MIDI in this process is crucial to achieving this.

As far as I’m aware, an installation and technological process of this nature has not been used before in this way, therefore making it highly innovative and unique.

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Most Inspiring Use Cases

So far, Particle Shrine is the only use case of this technology, but I have plans to use this system to create other installations which utilise live cosmic ray data and sonification, but with alternative outputs.

Expansion Plans

I plan to create a web based version of MIDIOKANDE, allowing users to play with the randomisation and sonification of live data either locally in the browser, or connect it to their own DAW to spark unusual compositional ideas.

There are plans to create a larger version of Particle Shrine that utilises more detectors and more projection mapping and possibly a volumetric LED setup. As well as this, I hope to create an outdoor, expanded version of this concept, using trees as the canvas for sounds, lighting and projection.

I plan to expand the educational resources around the project and present the work to a range of primary, secondary and degree students who are studying science or installation/sound design.

Commercialization

The installation has so far enjoyed a range of commercial success.

Since creation, it has been exhibited at:

Science Gallery London (2022-23)
Somerset House (2023)
Bush House (King’s College London) (2023-24)
Hidden Notes Festival at Brunel Goods Shed (Stroud) (2023)
Magna Science Adventure Centre (Rotherham) (2024)

Each exhibition had corresponding educational talks or concerts, where primary school children came to experience the piece and learn the science and technology behind it.

There has been a suite of compositions constructed using the data harvested from MIDIOKANDE. These compositions were presented with a 9-piece chamber orchestra and performed to sell out crowds at Snape Maltings and Science Gallery London.
Please see https://christosquier.co.uk/Subatomic for more info.

There are plans for further exhibitions in the UK and beyond in 2025.

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