Fluorescent Lamp (Yellow)
This minimalist video sculpture features a fluorescent lamp that flickers randomly. What makes it unique is that, unlike typical fluorescent lights, it is not filled with mercury vapour. The image of the lamp is displayed on an LCD screen, which houses three micro light sources in red, green, and blue. As a result, the image continues to glow, even at night, just like a real fluorescent lamp.
The combination of the LCD screen’s form with that of a traditional fluorescent lamp creates a distinctive contemporary sculpture. The title of the work refers to René Magritte’s iconic painting The Treachery of Images, which bears the phrase “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”). Just as Magritte’s painting prompts us to question the relationship between representation and reality, this piece encourages a similar reflection on the nature of the image and its meaning.