PING is a light artwork that works with light and sound and uses the combination of art and technology.

Long ago, simple means such as smoke signals, drums and beacons were used to light beacons on mountain peaks to transmit messages over great distances. The artwork PING refers to this way of communicating. Light and sound is transferred by modern technology; PINGs lanterns pass on a message from one beacon to the next one until the message has reached the end of the line. Slow sounds, increasing drums or just the sound of a single bell travels through the200 beacons spread over a 125 meter long trajectory. A chain reaction of messages, wrapped in an atmosphere of dynamic light and sound. Sometimes loud and fast, sometimes poetic and quiet.

In many ancient traditions, religions and philosophies, thoughts and wishes are expressed in physical or performative form. Sky lanterns are released to represent thoughts and feelings, and if you want to give a wish more power, you can beat a drum or gong a certain number of times. PING uses high-tech equipment to transmit these messages. A wireless network connects the beacons to an intelligent system through which the information flows. And because of this network, there are more possibilities than just sending a message.

PING beacons pass their contents sequentially, from beacon to beacon to beacon, until the message reaches the end of the line. Magnified many times over, the connections of a chip or motherboard resemble a city map. You could think of the streets as connections through which subsequent communication flows in a city.

Gijs van Bon

Gijs van Bon’s multidisciplinary objects and art installations always move between theatrical and autonomous spheres. The dutch artist combines these spheres and dissolves their boundaries to create powerful objects that are full of life and at the same time have a poetic and delicate content.