For the 61st International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, light artist Chris Levine unveils Halo, a monumental site-specific installation on the historic San Clemente Island. Situated at the Kempinski Palace Venice, this extraordinary work will transcend traditional scales of work and will be visible across the entire city. Due to be unveiled during the Biennale’s preview week, the installation uses next level laser power with the spiritual inquiry for which Levine’s work has become known.
An evolution of his ‘Higher Power’ series – first staged atop the Al Faisaliah Tower for Noor Riyadh 2024 – Halo utilises a unique 3kW laser system originally made for industrial purposes. Working in tandem with leading German laser engineers, Levine has developed a custom scanning system that generates fluid, kinetic light forms in the upper atmosphere. The installation is designed to metamorphose: transitioning from a singular vertical beacon piercing through the sky into a radiant halo suspended above San Clemente Island. This ethereal glow will be visible from as far as 30km away, anchoring the island within the Venetian lagoon. Inspired by the principles of sacred geometry and universal forces, Levine’s practice is aimed at bringing his audience to stillness and into the present moment, a meditative state the artist calls ‘the space between thought’.
The installation will be brought together by a soundscape, available for the general public via a streaming link. The sound energy will complete the sensory experience using Solfeggio frequencies, an ancient musical scale that is believed to have transformative, healing properties. By intersecting industrial power with harmonic resonance, Levine transforms San Clemente Island into a beacon of collective consciousness, inviting the viewers to find a moment of internal refuge in these unprecedented times of uncertainty.
