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Luma Bug by Kiki Kazimi | 2025
Concept
Luma Bug is a small bleeping creature emerging from an antique book, creating the impression of an entity coming to life. A light-sensitive theremin is embedded inside, allowing it to respond to changes in illumination, while a flashlight acts as a controller, shifting pitch and frequency as it moves across the book, giving the impression of performing a ritual over a living object.
The theremin circuit consists of an Arduino, a light sensor, and a small speaker, carefully arranged within the book, producing sound that changes according to light intensity, creating a performative, almost ceremonial interaction. The combination of electronics and the mysterious German book, part of a trilogy I discovered while researching lithographs on geology, botany, and cartography, transforms the object into a living, reactive presence.
Multiple “bug symphonies” were programmed to explore distinct sonic personalities and behaviors, The ADHD Bug, The Running Through the Jungle Bug, The Bug on Acid, The Alchemical Bug
Materials
Arduino, light sensor, speaker, interactive electronics, antique book, programmed sound sequences
Credits
Created by Kiki Kazimi