Spiral Reflector

"Spiral Reflector" is a computerized display made with a 300m long continuous line of LED white lights embedded in a tubular diffuser and arranged to form a five-meter-diameter spiral. The work is installed inside the Helen Escobedo and Juan Siles' “landscaped crater” of the Sculpture Garden at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.

At the center of the spiral is a panoptic surveillance camera, a "black hole" that flushes and absorbs all the light, from time to time. As the camera pans slowly, a scanning line appears to illustrate the direction of its attention. All images captured are erased with a frequent "spiral flush", followed by a short "pensive mode."

The piece draws attention to the seductions of visibility—recognition, inclusion, and self-imaging —while simultaneously exposing the camera as a device of predatory vision. In this way, the installation reflects on contemporary cultures of metrics and surveillance, where seeing oneself is inseparable from being measured.

The piece premiered in 2026 as part of the "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unfinished Garden" monographic exhibition at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.

General info

Spanish name:
Pantalla Espiral
Year of creation:
2026
Technique:
Computer, 300 metres of LED lights, panoramic surveillance camera, custom diffuser,
metal support, coded in OpenFrameworks, Python and TouchDesigner.

Exhibitions


Credits

  • Software: Hugo Daoust, David Robert
  • Hardware: William Sutton, Proyectos Especiales - Arte Abierto Team
  • Production:
  • Antimodular Studio, Montreal: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Stephan Schulz, David Robert, Emily Green, Hugo Daoust, Jade Séguéla, Jess Blanchet, Lauria Clarke, Tim Belliveau, Véronique Dufour, William Sutton
  • Proyectos Especiales – Arte Abierto, Mexico: Roberto Velazquez, Laura Vieco, Erika Loana Rivera, Daniel Ricaño, Pascal Schneuwly, Edgar Abraham Orozco, Jahir Emmanuel Osorio, Pavel Gustavo Cortez, Rogelio Martínez, José Daniel García, Victor Fernando Mendoza, Leonardo Yael Reyes, Felix Adrian Mendoza, Alfredo Mendoza Reyes, Carlos López, Diego López

Bibliography