Into the Cosmos

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Eiji Sumi’s Quark installation provides an illuminating interpretation of the very particles of life.

Standing in a pitch-black room, I lean in to examine a glass box, glowing amongst the shadows. A thousand tiny, glittering particles dance before my eyes, swirling through the air, twinkling quietly. Immediately, I’m taken over by the desire to fall right through the prism and into the mesmerising world of Japanese artist Eiji Sumi’s new installation, Quark.

To some the name sounds like a large, exotic bird, or completely made-up. But no, quarks are fundamental particles that build up matter, and Eiji Sumi’s Quark is an enchanting site-specific installation that allows the viewer to experience the beauty of these particles in an intriguing union of light, science and art.

Sumi began forming the idea for Quark nearly two years ago. Inspired by the way dust looks when caught in light, he started to investigate the phenomenon of particles, and in particular, quarks. Typically used in motion graphics, isolated quarks are the smallest known units of matter and so are too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. Sumi took this as a challenge, and set about finding a way to represent the particles in an installation. He says: “I wanted to create a work where these particles could be seen in reality, and I had to design a system to make this happen.”

He certainly succeeded — Quark allows the viewer to see what the smallest particles of matter might look like while presenting a captivating, visually dynamic format. The exhibition, on view now at H Gallery, features three glass structures containing particles that appear like reflective dust, suspended in the air by an automated system. According to Sumi, “each piece has a different character”.

Through the force of a fan or spinning water, the particles swirl in intricate patterns at varying speeds. Projections of light and laser beams illuminate the microscopic cosmos to the viewer, creating a hypnotising experience of the infinite. Sumi says the experience is akin to gazing at a shooting star, or into the shadows of deep ocean. “I wanted to create the illusion of the universe, and to give the viewer a feeling of the metaphysical.”

Born in Tokyo, Sumi moved to New York in 1994 where his career, originally based in fine art, extended to design, multimedia and installation. His wide range of works often feature elaborate structures and new spatial experiences, using light as his principal medium.

“Light is so poetic. You can change the mood of a place; you can play with distance. It’s almost like music — it creates movement,” Sumi says.

On moving to Bangkok two years ago, Sumi says he found new forms of inspiration and a positive energy in the city. Quark is supported by Chulalongkorn University, where Sumi is a lecturer in the International Communication Design Program (CommDe), part of the university’s Faculty of Architecture. Sumi admits the process of creating Quark was indeed challenging – but that’s what he enjoys. A self-proclaimed “material geek”, he repeatedly experimented with a range of different media in order to achieve the effect he desired. After a number of failed efforts using regular dust and then crushed crystal, Sumi finally found the perfect material: a reflective powder that was heavy enough to be controlled, but light enough to float in the air.

He then had to find the best way to shape and light these particles — another complex task of trial and error.

There were times when he nearly abandoned the whole project. “At one point I stopped… it just wasn’t working. But then I had this second urge to keep going, to get serious. I didn’t want to give up on the idea — it was too beautiful.”

Quark does indeed possess a peaceful beauty that has a calming effect on the viewer, drawing them into a different dimension that is simultaneously vast and infinitesimal; the very matter of life is portrayed in a remarkable example of technical and creative ability. Sumi says he is very pleased with the final result, and hopes to expand Quark to even greater scales in the future.

Quark is on view at H Gallery Project Space in Sathon until March 2.