Thermal Experience

Dione Thermal Camera Transforms Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville into an Interactive Thermal Observatory

Spectral Subjects is an interactive installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer of Antimodular Research, designed to transform the Atrium of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. This innovative piece functions as an infrared observatory, displaying a dynamic and ever-changing thermal map of the space through three large-scale wall projections.

Xenics, part of Exosens, offers state-of-the-art Dione LWIR cameras in the installation, that captures infrared radiation beyond the visible spectrum, revealing the thermal exchanges occurring within the environment. This includes the movement of air circulation, visitors’ body heat, and the residual warmth of inanimate objects. As temperature variations are detected, the artwork visualizes them through a particle system that illustrates the dissipation of heat, showing how body warmth radiates outward, interacts with the cooler, air-conditioned atmosphere, and gradually disperses.

The Xenics Dione LWIR cameras integrated into this installation are cutting-edge long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging devices, equipped with advanced uncooled sensors and real-time image enhancement. With their high sensitivity and precision, these cameras are ideal for a broad range of applications, including defense, security, industrial monitoring, and environmental observation. Their ability to capture subtle thermal differences with exceptional clarity enables Spectral Subjects to present an unprecedented view of human presence as an extension of its surroundings.

Spectral Subjects Installation

As with Lozano-Hemmer’s previous biometric art projects, Spectral Subjects invites viewers to reconsider the human body as an interconnected entity rather than an isolated form. The skin is not a rigid boundary but a permeable interface through which heat, air, scent, sound, and biological signals continuously exchange with the environment. The installation challenges the conventional distinction between private and public space, highlighting how our bodies extend into the world through movement, respiration, and even digital footprints.

The artwork underscores the role of spectators as essential participants—without their presence, the piece remains incomplete. Spectral Subjects serve both as a critical reflection on society’s expanding technological perception and as a playful exploration of presence and inclusion. In an age dominated by surveillance, digital identity, and self-representation through social media, the installation recontextualizes visibility, agency, and our interaction with technology.

This groundbreaking installation will be on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida, from December 13, 2024, to June 1, 2025.

Thermal Experience

Dione Thermal Camera Transforms Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville into an Interactive Thermal Observatory

Related content