The venue "The Shed" is the latest offshoot of extraordinary venues in New York. The installation "Particular Matter(s)" by Thomas Saraceno will take place there in 2022. A sphere with a diameter of 30m, accessible on several levels...and it needs a light source.

For the installation "Particular Matters" by the Berlin-based artist Thomas Saraceno, Christof Hetzer was commissioned to develop a light source with which the planned sphere with a diameter of approx. 30m, which should be accessible on several levels, can be illuminated evenly and variably.

The required enormous light output was initially achieved with LED construction site floodlights, which were then not used due to delays in the project. The light sources were finally replaced by 29 GLP Fusion MBL 40 with a total output of approx. 950k ANSI lumen. These were mounted on a frame, which itself was covered by an inflatable balloon with a diameter of 5m. The shell was welded from Tüchler's "Even" projection film.

The challenges were the power supply, heat development, fan noise, serviceability for the duration of the installation (2 months) and the general installation in the large sphere in the hall "The Shed". The test assembly in Berlin, the packaging of the sensitive parts and the shipping as well as the installation on site also required care and planning.

The moment when the sphere was inflated for the first time and shone in full light in the industrial hall in East Berlin, made it clear that this object contains a special magic.