Streichlicht is a circuit of electronic signals, a system of self-producing images working self-sufficiently over a certain time-span which, however, in order to continue functioning needs an energy input from outside at certain intervals.
20 glass containers are arranged in a dark room. Inside the containers are self-constructed solar cells beside of which loudspeakers are lying on the ground. A video projector is mounted on the ceiling beaming the image towards the floor.
At the entrance to the installation the viewers receive a box of matches and the direction to light one of the matches inside the room.
As soon as they do this they hear the light of the match as an electronic whistling and crackling noise, and at the same instance the video projector beams images of lines, varying in width and number, towards the floor and the glass containers. The light falling onto the containers causes a photoelectric reaction in the solar cells, which in turn produce the signal for the video projector.
The viewer can walk amongst the glass containers, which influences the sound as well as the images.
After a while the projections and the sound diminish in their intensity until the viewers find themselves in the dark again and have to light a new match in order “start” Streichlicht again.
20 glass bottles (6-25 litres), around 300 litres of salt water, 20 solar modules (wood, copper, cable); 10 2-channelmixing desks; 10 audio amplifiers, 1 24-channel mixing desk; 1 audio-compressor/gate; 1 monitor, 1 video camera; 1 image stabiliser; various sound producing circuits, cables, power supply (packs)