Project Blinkenlights

Some things just have to be done.

Project Blinkenlights turns buildings into giant interactive displays. What started in 2001 as the Chaos Computer Club's birthday present to itself became a series of light installations on three continents — the whole story is told in the project overview.

The Projects

  • Blinkenlights — Berlin 2001, Haus des Lehrers: the installation that started it all (18×8 pixels, monochrome). With the reprise projects Reloaded (2003/04) and Bauschild (2002–2004).
  • Arcade — Paris 2002, Bibliothèque nationale de France: the world's biggest computer game display (26×20 pixels, 8 greyscales). Rehearsed in the woods at Bushfire.
  • Stereoscope — Toronto 2008, City Hall: two towers, one matrix (96×32 pixels, 16 greyscales).
  • Polychrome — since 2023: Blinkenlights in color, from Camp to Nation of Gondwana.

Timeline

mid-August 2001The idea is born on the way back from HAL2001 — four weeks before the first night
11 Sep 2001 – 25 Feb 2002Blinkenlights — Berlin, Haus des Lehrers: 18×8 pixels behind the windows
12 – 14 Jul 2002Bushfire — Nation of Gondwana: a forest as a matrix, the field test for the new technology
25 Sep – 6 Oct 2002Arcade — Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France: eleven nights, 26×20 pixels in greyscales
late 2002 – Jan 2004Bauschild — Berlin: Blinkenlights en miniature on the construction sign
22 Dec 2003 – 4 Jan 2004Blinkenlights Reloaded — Berlin: the matrix returns for two weeks
2 – 3 Oct 2004Blinken-Lite — Berlin: a pulsing heart over Alexanderplatz, put up at short notice
Oct 2005Blinkenlights for the Festival of Lights — Berlin: two weeks on all 144 windows again
4 – 12 Oct 2008Stereoscope — Toronto, City Hall: two towers, 96×32 pixels
16 Nov 2012Media Architecture Award in the category Participatory Architecture, Aarhus
Aug 2023Polychrome: Camp 2023 — the first outing in color
Jul 2024Polychrome: Nation of Gondwana 2024
Jul 2025Polychrome: Nation of Gondwana 2025
Jul 2026Polychrome: Nation of Gondwana 2026

The galleries play the original animations on their facades, the Movie Converter turns your own movies into GIFs and WebP, and the press room collects two decades of coverage. What is happening right now is in the blog.

●