Crystal Set

“The design culture of the new hides the archaic materials of the planet.”

— Jussi Parikka: A Geology of Media, 2015

Crystal Set executes an artistic exploration of the material layer of contemporary digital technology. The autonomous installation is built around a crude silicon carbide specimen. Sixty-four iron needles are attached to the surface of the crystal, forming a semiconducting junction (diode) at the contact point. Silicon carbide has two additional properties: it emits light at the point of contact (LED) and generates audible signals (piezoelectric effect). A custom software investigates the logical structure of the crystal. It applies different electronic patterns to the contacts based on an analysis of current flow, resistance, and response times in the specimen. In doing this, it inspects its own properties and behavior in a closed feedback loop. As a result, it generates a raw and untamed signal stream that becomes visible and audible to the observer.