The acoustic properties of lightbulbs

Initiated in spring 2002, the Bulbes project, by Montréal artists Artificiel (Alexandre Burton, Jimmy Lakatos and Julien Roy), is both an installation and a sound instrument that explores the sonic and visual qualities of an array of huge, humming lightbulbs.

Hanging from the ceiling, the 1000 watts bulbs are individually controlled by a computer which allows complex sonic textures to be created out of pure electricity.

Dimming the light changes the sound. Strangely at maximum intensity (1000 watts) the bulbs are almost silent. It is when they are dimmed that they produce their louder sounds.