›Astrophotography – Stages of Photographic Development‹ by Siegfried Marx (1987)

Thyssen-Bornemissza Art Contemporary Collection, Vienna

Murano glass chandeliers are the product of centuries-old craftsmanship, symbolic of luxury, decadence, and grandeur which create an atmosphere of theatricality and nostalgia. Dramatic in its scale, color, and delicate filigree, the design produced by Luce Italia for Cerith Wyn Evans is a reproduction of a Venetian-style chandelier, made mostly of transparent glass, with bluish scrolling leaves, intricate arabesques, and colorful floral motifs.

The Murano glass chandelier is one of a series of about twenty created by the artist so far. They were all programmed by the artist to send out flashing Morse signals. This particular one exhibited at ZKM | Karlsruhe transmits the chapter »Stages of Photographic Development« from the IAU workshop proceedings »Astrophotography« (1987) edited by Siegfried Marx. The book discusses in great detail the technical considerations of photographing stars and planets. The text of the chapter appears simultaneously on a monitor nearby.