As part of Art of London’s Art After Dark series,Design Indaba Alumnus, Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian unveiled her latest surreal and immersive installation, Piccadilly Un:Plugged. The programme is part of an initiative to support London’s nightlife. Hayoun-Stépanian is known for her unorthodox fusion of science, activism, and experiential art, Ben Hayoun-Stépanian transformed the bustling London landmark into what she describes as a “cosmic playground”.
The Piccadilly Un:Plugged the installation aimed to reconnect the public with the energy and purpose of the night. The installation featured asteroid-like boulders and surreal cat sculptures — a nod to Schrödinger’s cat, the famous thought experiment that explores the paradox of something being simultaneously alive and dead.
A central feature of the installation included a lunar sound experiment, in which audio signals — were transmitted to the moon and reflected back to Earth in which the sound comes back distorted, layered with cosmic static. This celestial remix blurred the boundaries between art, science, and sound, creating a truly otherworldly listening experience that invited audiences to tune into the unknown.
The installation was designed as a Cosmic Playground to spur radical imagination when thinking about the future – whether it's on earth or in space.
