Friends for Dinner (2023)
September 4, 2023
Emerging as a glowing beacon in the deep playa, Friends for Dinner serves as an invitation for wanderers to sit, gather, and share a moment of wonder. A familiar dining table—an anchor of domestic life—is transformed into an immersive light show that creates a comforting yet surreal hangout spot in the most unfamiliar of places.
The heart of the installation is a meticulously set dining table, complete with place settings, glowing plates, and the forks and knives necessary for an imagined eight-course meal (all securely fixed in place to ensure they stay on the playa). Above it, a reimagined chandelier blooms with luminous energy, tying the space together with hours of unique, coordinated animations pulsing across more than 2,000 individually addressable LEDs. The chandelier demonstrates how an everyday object can come to life and spark joy, drawing explorers in from afar and rewarding them with a dazzling experience.
At its core, Friends for Dinner is an interactive space meant to be claimed and shared. Other artists and participants are encouraged to occupy the table, turning it into a hub for gifting deep-playa food, drinks, and lively stories. It’s an open place to pause, enjoy the spectacle, and commune with newfound friends around an unforgettable table.
The space worked exactly as envisioned - no instructions needed, no confusion. When seats were open, newcomers naturally joined in. Snacks and drinks were shared freely among strangers. The piece captured that magical immediacy that sparks deep conversations between people who’d just met. Whether arriving alone or with a group, participants were able to sit down, marvel at the joyful light show, and leave with a wider circle of friends.
Special thanks to the crew: Noah, Jay, and Russ
Inspiration
The inspiration for the installation comes from a charming family tradition. The artist’s three-year-old loves to play a game called “Friends for Dinner” where he pretends to be a new dinner guest, making up delightful answers to questions at the table. It turns out that meeting people at the dinner table for the first time isn’t as common as you might think - but when it happens, it creates a uniquely powerful shared experience.
For the artist, the concept of a dinner party has always been synonymous with good conversation, belly laughs, and a much-needed break from the ordinary. Growing up, family dinners were a rarity, making the occasions when friends gathered around the table incredibly special—a treat that still resonates today.
By conceptualizing this luminous sanctuary, the artist aimed to recreate that feeling of warmth and connection. It’s a space built on the simple but powerful premise that when people sit down together, the magic of community happens.
Materials/Technologies Used
- Table, chairs, and tableware were sourced second-hand
- Chandelier custom made with 30px/m and 96px/m WS2815 LED strips
- Plates rested on WS2815 LED strips encased in resin
- LED’s driven by 3 QuinLED-Dig-Quad (ESP32) microcontrollers networked to a raspberry pi
- Raspberry Pi 4 Runs Falcon Player which sends out DDP commands to LED controllers
- Orbs are based on MaceTech OctoBar and 8 Satellite S-001 Modules
- Used X-Lights software for 3D modeling and sequencing, with custom built ISF Shaders