I’m interested in creating a wall-mounted light sculpture inspired by James Turrell’s Skyspaces. His work plays with perception and ambient light in architectural spaces — I love how his pieces make you stop and look. My idea is to build a mini version of that experience: a framed shadowbox with an inner “sky” that glows and shifts color slowly.
I want the piece to feel like a tiny portal — something simple and quiet that I can hang on my wall, but still gives off the spacious, meditative feeling you get inside Turrell’s work. My rough design includes a foam board fram with balsa wood halway down, a recessed ceiling with an opening for an infinity mirror (see below), and hidden LED strips that bounce light around the inside (above balsa wood). I will test different diffusers (like tracing paper and sheer fabric) to soften the light and create that immersive, color-field effect.
Alongside this, I’ve explored a second concept that’s more of a room-scale installation — basically a glowing pod that could sit in a corner and pulse with light. It’s less of a “thing you look at” and more of a smaller scale model of a room/space. While I love the vibe of that idea, I’m leaning more toward the framed skyspace version since it feels more personal and practical for where I’m at.
Some things I’m still thinking about: whether to include mirrors or keep everything matte, how subtle or reactive I want the lighting to be, and which materials give the cleanest glow without exposing the LEDs too much. Overall, I’m excited to create something that I can be proud to hang in my room and will hopefully catch the eye.
I am really looking forward to this one! I am partial to concept 1, but I think all will look great. I think leaning into the calming effect will be a good angle, however that takes shape in the lighting/reflectivity/etc.
A concept to consider for the opening at the top: you could use a back-lit digital print, getting a small print of the sky and light it through the back so it mimics the actual sky and provides some light. This could be a way to get the sky space effect without having to use the actual sky.
I think you have some really cool ideas here. I’m personally the biggest fan of concept 1, without the mirrors. I’m a big fan of your inspiration art works and creating a miniature version would be really cool. Another possible idea would be to put a tiny camera inside and try to capture the view from inside, as Turrell’s would be.
Your concept is awesome! I’m also a huge fan of concept 1, the idea of a infinite scene hanging on your wall seems really cool. I specifically think the idea to create an infinity mirror box would enhance the piece. How are you planning on setting up the scene such that it will work when hung on a wall (if that is your end goal)? I would definitely check out Team Labs’ infinity room.
Your concept for a wall-mounted light sculpture inspired by James Turrell’s Sky spaces is very cool. The use of hidden LED strips and diffusers to create an immersive light effect is particularly appealing. I like your first concept. Consider using matte materials to avoid unwanted reflections and exploring programmable LEDs for dynamic lighting effects.
I really like all of your ideas here. I think it could be possible to combine 1 & 2 in a way and have a shelf installation that is a little more detailed as a mini room but if 1 is calling you more, do it! Mirrors would be fun for more of an optical illusion, but for a calming vibe, I’d skip them! I think figure out where you want it to go first and base how you do lighting off of that.