The Extension of Expansion
Research Project by Valentina Berthelon in colaboration with Dr. Antonio S. Hales, Chilean astrophysicist and Art-Science Curator at Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma)
Work in Progress
What if the boundaries we perceive are not fixed but shift depending on our perspective? The Extension of Expansion is a generative audiovisual installation that invites participants to explore a universe where the self dissolves into an interconnected web of subatomic particles. Inspired by quantum physics, stellar data, and indigenous and Eastern traditions, the work reimagines our place within the cosmos.
At the heart of this project is the concept of complementarity, a principle in quantum mechanics that reveals how humans exist simultaneously as physical beings and expansive energy fields. These two realities coexist, showing that opposites are intertwined and challenging binary thinking. This expanded view of reality echos the wisdom of spiritual traditions that view the self as one with the universe.This work aims to bridge these perspectives, blending scientific precision with intuitive and emotional experience.
This journey begins with light. Spectroscopy, the study of how matter interacts with light, reveals the hidden properties of celestial objects. By analyzing starlight, scientists uncover their composition, temperature, and behavior. Collaborating with Dr. Antonio S. Hales, a Chilean astrophysicist at ALMA, I translated data from seven star types into diverse visual and auditory forms. These stellar fingerprints are the initial inspiration of this installation, weaving a poetic narrative of cycles, energy, and universal connection.
The Extension of Expansion immerses participants in a real-time generative environment. Projected visuals, evolving soundscapes, and dynamic motion create a vast quantum landscape—a boundless space where subatomic particles vibrate at different frequencies and humans, composed of the same elemental particles, use our most advanced technology —our body, mind, and spirit—to look inside ourselves to be able to aline and harmonize with universal cycles and invisible energies that surround us.
When white light passes through a prism,
it breaks into its component colors, revealing the full spectrum and the beauty of diversity within a single unified source.
The haze introduced by quantum physics has opened up space
for speculation and discussion of freedom,
as opposed to definitive material determinism
and I see in some of these theories a fertile ground to hold onto, serving as concrete tools of thought
to broaden our perception of reality
Uncertainty has long taught us that we cannot fully grasp reality. Indigenous peoples recognized this, viewing nature as the visible part of an invisible universe where plants, animals, humans, mountains, and objects exist within an implicit realm. Everything that has form emerges from the formless, rooted in what remains unseen. We coexist with these invisible forces and energies, present both in the world around us and within ourselves.
Dr. Antonio S. Hales, Chilean astrophysicist and Art-Science Curator at Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
ALMA
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ALMA
Continuous Spectrum:
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Absorption Spectrum:
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Complementarity
Is it a vase or two faces?
if you say its 2 faces you are missing half of the reality
Both things are absolutely equally true
but non of them is a complete description of the whol.
We can be both a solid physical body and
a vast network of subatomic particles at the same time.
These two realities coexist, showing that opposites—like particle and wave, or body and universe—are intertwined.
Is it a vase or two faces?
if you say its 2 faces you are missing half of the reality
Both things are absolutely equally true
but non of them is a complete description of the whol.
We can be both a solid physical body and
a vast network of subatomic particles at the same time.
These two realities coexist, showing that opposites—like particle and wave, or body and universe—are intertwined.
