INTERVIEW Jennifer Kolb
PUBLISHED 6. FEB 2025
Ksawery Kirklewski – born in 1988, creative coding and new media artist. Author of interactive light installations, music videos, generative animations, phygital art pieces, and projects in public space. In his activities, he uses new technologies, programming and advertising media, focusing mostly on the digital and generative art field. In this interview, Jennifer Kolb talks to Kirklewski and his team about their artwork ‘FLUX’ and the topic of ‘new energies’ in this context.
// What motivated you to apply for the LICHTROUTEN? Had you heard of Lüdenscheid or the light art festival before?
We were invited to participate by Bettina and Tom. Interestingly, Bettina used to curate the ‘Narracje’ Festival in Gdańsk years ago – which is where our studio is located. It’s a nice coincidence that our paths are crossing again in a new context.
// Where was “FLUX,” the interactive light installation, created? Was it entirely developed in a studio or also tested on-site?
The first edition of FLUX was created in our first studio, which was so small that we couldn’t build the entire installation at full scale. Instead, we worked on smaller sections and tested elements individually. The first time FLUX was fully assembled and experienced at 100% scale was on-site during Miami Art Week.
// What was the idea behind “FLUX,” and how did you approach its realization?
FLUX was conceived around the time of the coronavirus pandemic when we all became accustomed to meeting friends over cameras. The way we interacted shifted – our digital representations became stand-ins for physical presence, and live video technology advanced rapidly to accommodate this change.
With FLUX, we wanted to explore this transformation and push the technical aspects of digital interaction to their limits. The installation reflects the speed and fluidity of these connections – how signals travel, data is processed, and interaction is translated into light and sound. It’s about making the invisible structures of digital communication tangible, immersing the audience in an experience that mirrors the real-time exchanges we now take for granted.
// How did the work develop? Did you have a finished script or did you develop the image material step by step?
FLUX is an evolution of ideas we first explored in ENTER, our first LED-based installation. ENTER reflected on how we input personal data into vast digital clouds and the emergence of AI-driven avatars that might one day replace traditional interfaces. It speculated on a future where we no longer type but instead interact seamlessly with technology through speech and gestures – a vision that, in many ways, is already becoming reality with tools like ChatGPT, now equipped with voice functionality.
We expanded this concept on a much larger scale, both physically and technologically. The development process was highly iterative – rather than following a fixed script, we built the system step by step, continuously refining the image material and interaction model. This approach allowed us to shape the experience dynamically, ensuring that every aspect of the installation responded fluidly to its environment and audience.
// What software do you work with? What qualities are important to you here?
All of our software is always custom-coded and most often browser-based. I primarily work with JavaScript for everything I do, as my background is not only in design but also in web development. What I appreciate most about JavaScript is its flexibility – it allows me to build both interactive visuals and functional systems efficiently. The fact that it runs in the browser also makes it highly accessible and adaptable across different platforms, which is crucial for large-scale, tech-driven installations like FLUX.
// You use an impressive amount of technology, including 4,800 meters of LED strips, 144,000 pixels, and high-speed cameras. What challenges did you face during the technical implementation?
Assembling FLUX for the first time was quite a logistical challenge. One of the biggest surprises was the sheer amount of manual work involved – we had to glue together literally kilometers of LED strips to make them double-sided. Managing such a large-scale LED setup required precision and patience, from handling power distribution to ensuring that the data signals remained stable across the pixels. On the software side, optimization played a crucial role. With such a vast number of LEDs, achieving the highest possible fluidity was a priority. A significant part of the programming process was dedicated to fine-tuning the code to maximize performance and responsiveness, ensuring that the visuals ran seamlessly in real-time without any latency.
// Our theme is “New Energies”. How do you see your work in this context?
In the context of ‘New Energies,’ FLUX explores the invisible forces that power our digital interactions. Just as electricity and data streams shape our modern world, the installation makes these hidden flows tangible – transforming raw signals into an immersive visual and sonic experience. Beyond the technological aspect, FLUX also reflects on the way human energy is increasingly channeled into digital spaces. Our interactions, emotions, and presence are constantly being translated into data – whether through social media, AI-driven communication, or live-streamed conversations. The installation reveals the algorithms mediating these connections, showing how our digital selves generate new forms of movement, rhythm, and interaction. By immersing the audience in this dynamic system, FLUX not only visualizes energy but also reimagines how we perceive and engage with it – mirroring a world where everything is becoming more digital, interconnected, and responsive.
// What does “exhibiting” mean to you? What role does it play for your work to find a place in the public eye?
Exhibiting is a crucial part of my practice. Unlike traditional artworks that exist as static objects, our installations are designed to be experienced in real time and space. They rely on movement, interaction, and technology to fully come to life. For us, exhibiting means creating a shared moment between the work and the audience – allowing people to step inside a digital system and feel its presence in a physical way. It’s also about pushing the boundaries of how we engage with technology, making abstract digital processes tangible and immersive.
// What do you want from the public?
I want the public to have fun and, at the same time, gain a different perspective on life. My installations are designed to be immersive and engaging, often incorporating a sense of play that draws people in. The interactive nature of FLUX encourages not just passive observation but active exploration, making the experience more personal and intuitive. Beyond that, I hope the work sparks reflection on the invisible systems shaping our digital interactions. If someone walks away from FLUX feeling a sense of wonder or questioning the way technology influences our perception of reality, then the installation has done its job.
// And finally, a more philosophical question: How do you see the relationship between art and society?
pes the world we live in. Especially in the realm of new media, where technology plays such a dominant role in our daily lives, art becomes a tool for making the invisible visible. It helps us question the systems we engage with, revealing hidden structures that influence how we interact with the world. I see art as a space for exploration – one that offers new ways of seeing, feeling, and understanding our surroundings. Through immersive installations like FLUX, I aim to create experiences that would be impossible in any other way – sensations that transcend traditional forms of expression and allow audiences to engage with technology and space in ways they haven’t before. In this way, art doesn’t just comment on society; it actively expands the ways we can perceive and experience it.
// What are you looking forward to next?
We just moved to a new studio, and who knows what adventures that will bring. A new space always comes with new possibilities – more room to experiment, refine our process, and push our projects further. I’m excited to see how this change will influence our work and what unexpected ideas might emerge from it.