In this day and age, detachment seems to be prized over affection, with the latter being regarded as “cringe.” But we’re all humans, and there’s no escaping the fact that we all benefit from touch and care—multiple studies certify this. “At a time like this, filling public space with gestures of care and caresses almost starts to feel like a subversive act,” says Luzinterruptus, a Madrid-based anonymous art collective. The group is taking a stand with an installation titled Caressing Zone, bringing something considered intimate and private out into the open.
The collective, which is known for using light to tell stories, usually works by illuminating objects from within. For Caressing Zone, the team hangs hundreds of translucent arms from a large truss or scaffolding structure. The arms are made of white translucent fabric, similar to the material used in women’s stockings. The wind then moves them, making them brush against those who walk through the space—but going in for a hug is also encouraged. “The wind never moves the arms in exactly the same way, so the artwork is constantly reacting to the environment and to the bodies passing through it,” say the artists.
The use of soft materials is another kind of protest. “In contrast to architectures shaped by hardness, speed, or control, we are interested in introducing soft, unstable elements connected to physical contact,” Luzinterruptus explains. This allows the artists to spotlight textiles historically associated with the feminine, and usually tasked with going unnoticed. “Here, the stockings are used as both structural and luminous elements, leaving the private sphere to occupy a monumental and collective structure within the city.”
The installation doesn’t aim to be a technological marvel; its mission is in its heart. From a distance, Caressing Zone appears like a faintly lit luminous mass, only gaining its true, tactile form once the visitor has stepped inside. Luzinterruptus is not focused on achieving a perfect anatomical arm; instead, it shines a literal light on seams, folds, and small deformations produced by movement and use, enhanced by a cold light placed on the top part of each arm.
Caressing Zone has yet to become a reality. As of now, it is only a concept, but the artists hope to see this installation come to life soon. The team is committed to only installing their creations in public spaces, making them free and accessible for everyone, as well as working only with lighting material that is readily available and energy efficient. Given the important and heartfelt message of their work, it could certainly benefit hundreds of spaces around the world.
To stay up to date with their projects, follow Luzinterruptus on Instagram.
Madrid-based art collective Luzinterruptus brings something considered intimate and private out into the open with Caressing Zone.
Hundreds of translucent arms hang from a large truss or scaffolding structure, which then brush against the visitors. Going in for a hug is also encouraged.
The arms are made of white translucent fabric, similar to the material used in women’s stockings, making them light enough to sway in the wind.
“The wind never moves the arms in exactly the same way, so the artwork is constantly reacting to the environment and to the bodies passing through it.”
From a distance, Caressing Zone appears like a faintly lit luminous mass, only gaining its true, tactile form once the visitor has stepped inside.
“At a time like this, filling public space with gestures of care and caresses almost starts to feel like a subversive act.”
Luzinterruptus is not focused on achieving a perfect anatomical arm; instead, it shines a literal light on seams, folds, and small deformations produced by movement and use.
“In contrast to architectures shaped by hardness, speed, or control, we are interested in introducing soft, unstable elements connected to physical contact.”
As of now, Caressing Zone is only a concept, but the artists hope to see this installation come to life soon.
