Lightwall

Experience Art That Reacts to You

“Lightwall balances complex algorithms with the simplicity of white paper and prisms.”
— Rita Sus
“Without you, it’s just a wall. Your presence is the spark that brings the machine to life.”
— Zach Rattner

The Artwork That Looks Back

  • The goal was simple but ambitious: to teach a machine to feel. Lightwall bridges the gap between digital intelligence and physical reality, turning a static wall into a living presence.

  • Rita and Zach merged the tangible beauty of kinetic glass with the invisible power of real-time AI. Brought to life through an intensive collaboration with California State University Fullerton, the project evolved from experimental prototypes into a seamless, living installation.

  • Lightwall is designed to see you, not to watch you. By running all AI entirely on-site with no cloud connection, the installation creates a fleeting, private dialogue. It perceives your movement, reacts instantly, and then forgets, leaving no trace behind.

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See Lightwall Live

Lightwall is on view at California Center for the Arts Museum through the spring season. The installation is best experienced live, where its full range of behavior, sensitivity, and presence can be felt directly.

340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA 92025

Hours
Wednesday - Saturday, 11am - 5pm
Sunday, 1 - 5pm

Built To Be Remixed

Most art is “look, don't touch.” Lightwall is different. We are publishing the DNA of this project: the code, the CAD, and the logic. Anyone can replicate, modify, or completely reinvent it. Public art should be built on public knowledge. We built the first Lightwall, but the community will build the next one.

Lightwall’s source code and CAD models are open source.

Get the code

THE LIGHTWALL COLLECTIVE

  • Rita Sus

  • Zach Rattner

    • Akshat Sureshbhai Desai

    • Austin Nguyen

    • Christian Aaron Marshall

    • Dr. Christopher Ryu

    • Dylan Michael Geraci

    • Edmarck Osmin Sosa Pineda

    • Jake Estrada

    • Jose Rodrigo Aguilar García

    • Harry Le

    • Steven Joseph Burroughs

    • Uyen Hoang Thuc Tran

    • Art & Framing Solutions

    • Hope Rattner

    • Zeke Rattner

Contact the Team

For museums, galleries, institutions, festivals, and creative partners interested in hosting Lightwall, commissioning work, or booking talks and demonstrations, contact the Lightwall team.