Light and Shadow Instruments
Description
The Light and Shadow Instruments Project merges architecture and the performing arts through a transdisciplinary collaboration that explores the musical potential of daylight. The Instruments - architectural models designed to capture and measure solar angles during equinoxes and solstices - will be played live, actively translating light into sound. The project will culminate in a public performance and an accompanying exhibition of architectural drawings, graphic musical notation, and sculptural objects.
Documentation
The Light and Shadow Instruments Project is an ongoing transdisciplinary collaboration between Madison Cook (School of Architecture) and Eduardo Sato (School of Performing Arts). With support from ICAT in the form of a Mini SEAD Grant, our collaboration was able to bridge architecture, music, and environmental design, resulting in a collection of sculptural instruments that bring shape to solar phenomena in a multisensory experience. The instruments track azimuth and altitude angles of the sun on equinoxes, creating spatial and experiences rooted in geographic specificity.
Originally conceived as architectural teaching tools, the instruments have evolved into artistic objects and instruments for silence. Through experimental collaboration, we’ve developed a compelling pedagogical model that combines research, fabrication, and performance. The instruments were showcased in several internal venues, and the project continues to gain momentum—locally, and internationally.
The Light and Shadow Instruments project reflects ICAT’s mission through its commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, sensory exploration, and experiential learning. By translating solar data into form, movement, and sound, the project invites new ways of understanding the environment through design. With ICAT’s support, we have created a platform for experimentation—where architecture, performance, and pedagogy intersect. While the work is beginning to reach international audiences, it remains deeply rooted in the hands-on, inquiry-driven education that defines Virginia Tech.
Impact
Throughout the academic-year grant period, we successfully produced dozens of prototypes of the Light and Shadow Instruments and engaged the University community through several events. Our major events included:
- Equinox Event: On March 20, we conducted a light-and-sound observation session with students and faculty, testing the instruments’ ability to perceive solar phenomena in real time.
- Cowgill Lobby Exhibition: We curated a public display of large scale black and white photographs of the instruments as well as carefully crafted cyanotype prints that speculated on musicality and graphic notation.
- ICAT Playdate: We hosted an open session where students, faculty, and staff explored the design and musical relevance of the collaboration, inviting dialogue and new ideas.
- CIPS Invitation: We were invited to offer an artistic contribution at the IV Conferência Internacional de Pesquisa em Sonoridades (Silêncios) in Brazil, marking our first international opportunity. Our collection of instruments for this event will be site-specific, calibrated for a Brazilian latitude on the date of the conference. A group of three undergraduate architecture students and our ICAT project assistant, Macy Hall, have been integral in the schematic and design development of this project.
- CAT Day 2025: We demonstrated the instruments to visitors, expanding awareness of our work and its interdisciplinary potential.