INFINITE DISPLAY is a light installation in the 1950ies underground swimming pool of a private home. Using high-fidelity microphones and custom designed lamps and mirrors, all activity in the pool is translated into a continuous and constantly changing light display behind the pool.

The surface of the INFINITE DISPLAY consists of two seamless, parallel mirrors that span the entire rear wall directly behind the swimming pool. Between the mirrors a series of custom-made LED lamps developed by KRAM/WEISHAAR and manufactured by FLOS are placed at floor level at regular intervals. The frontmost mirror is semi-transparent, allowing for a percentage of the light from the luminaries to pass through and an equal percentage to be reflected back towards the rear mirror; this configuration forms an endlessly expanding light reflection creating an illusion of three-dimensional space behind the mirrors.

A condenser microphone monitors the surface of the water in the pool and a scientific-grade hydrophone measures the sound levels below the surface. Each movement of the pool surface is captured in real-time. The amplitude and duration of these sounds are then translated into light signals – the louder the noise recorded, the stronger the subsequent light pulse. Acoustic sound waves in water are transformed into visually perceptible signals. The mirroring of these light pulses creates a virtual space – a digital visualization of man and machine, sound and movement.

While this interaction is taking place, the entire surface of the INFINITE DISPLAY mirror is slowly tilted through the use of hidden silent linear motors, shifting the angle of light modulated by the mirrors and bending the reflected virtual space between them. At an almost imperceptible rate the angle of the front mirror tilts and adjusts the focal point of the reflections. Only when viewed over a considerable length of time is one aware of the constant shifting of the vanishing point and thus of the entire room.

A scale 1:25 model with full optical, mechanical and computational functionality enabled serves as a development platform for mechanical engineers, KRAM/WEISSHAAR programmers and designers while simultanously serving as a presentation tool.