The inescapable darkness of our time stands in stark contrast to the endless glare of artificial light with which we surround ourselves. "LUMIN-US 24/6" highlights this contrast by framing our obsession with garish artificial light as a metaphor for humanity's attempt to stave off the darkness and uncertainty of global economic decline, endless war, ecological destruction, political dysfunction, and other social ills. Conceived as a war on the senses, it is meant to inundate and overwhelm viewers both visually and sonically, making them feel trapped.

     Images of luridly-lit Xmas displays are a prominent part of this installation. What was once a Christian holy day celebrating the potential for redemption in the face of human ills is now little more than a ritual of crass consumerism drenched in artificial light. Looking back to the pre-Christian roots of Xmas, originally timed to coincide with pagan winter solstice celebrations, we see that a fundamental irony emerges: the primordial light of the sun, co-opted by the church to represent spiritual light, has degenerated into flashy artificial lights that lure with the promise of salvation through the acquisition of material goods. This speaks to our infatuation with the tangible-symbols have lost all connection to their referents, and holiday displays stand as superficial shrines to materiality itself. This reverence for the material fuels the greed that drives humanity deeper into darkness on a global scale.

     Amid the images of flashy lights and extravagant decorations, visual references to each of the three major Semitic religions-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-hint at their common roots and shared symbolism. Sudden explosions-fireworks? bombs?-remind the viewer that the bizarrely abstract "War on Terror," fueled by religious rhetoric, has wreaked horrifyingly concrete havoc in the very region that gave birth to all three faiths. The possibility of nuclear Armageddon looms as a new kind of spiritual radiance.