The Point of Unity and Soul

Both projects, by Mykola Kabluka, Ukrainian lighting designer and contemporary artist, creative director and founder of Expolight, Ukraine’s leading lighting design and media art studio, continue the studio’s exploration of light as an artistic medium for reshaping the perception of architecture, space and human connection. "Soul" explores the moment when an internal thought begins to take physical form, tracing the space between contemplation and action, the spiritual and the physical, and personal experience and its manifestation in the world. The visual and audio systems are informed by neurophysiological research into brain activity associated with daydreaming, inward attention and creative thought. Unlike conventional video projection, the imagery is not created in advance, instead emerging physically through the interaction of light, glass, movement and space. The resulting image is constantly changing, so no composition is repeated. "The Point of Unity" will make its UK debut at St Paul’s Cathedral following its first presentation at Burning Man last year. The immersive light sculpture explores human connection, presence and the interplay between aspiration and action. Conceived as a meeting point of earth and sky, the spiritual and the material, the installation invites visitors to feel themselves part of a larger, interconnected whole. The sculpture works in tandem with its surroundings: by day, the mirrored surfaces reflect the sky, passing clouds and the landscape around it, while at night the 3,500 fibre-optic points transform the sculpture into a field of stars. Custom optical filters break white light into shifting spectral patterns that move through space, creating continuously changing compositions, accompanied by a curated soundtrack that draws on astronomical data. Created by a Ukrainian artist amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, the works carry a perspective shaped by a society living through rupture, uncertainty and profound transformation. Without depicting the war directly, they address questions that are acutely relevant to Ukraine and increasingly universal: how to preserve one’s inner light in times of darkness, transform hope into action, and find strength through human connection. "Soul" will be projected on the facade of St Paul's Cathedral in the evenings. More details to follow soon.