Conductor: The Light of Stars is a deeply interactive installation in which the participant assumes the role of an invisible but omnipotent celestial force manipulating the orbits of the planets.

Central to the artwork’s composition is the use of sound, interwoven with touch and movement. By incorporating auditory elements that respond to the participant’s actions, the work transcends the traditional limitations of visual art, establishing an emotional connection that fully immerses the viewer in the experience. As the planets align, a dynamic soundtrack evolves in response to the player’s gestures, growing increasingly intricate as their movements become more pronounced.

The addition of the poem ‘The Light of Stars’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to the music reinforces the themes of connection, mystery and awe. The poem speaks of the eternal nature of the stars and the strength they give. While participants engage with the interactive elements of the artwork, the poem acts as a guiding force, leading them to ponder deeper questions about the nature of existence and our connection to the cosmos.
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Harris approached João Victor to narrate the poem in a series of recordings commissioned in 2023. Victor’s association with the poem runs deep, as it was in 2019 that Victor stunned the USA at the National Poetry Recitation finals with his recitation of the text. This achievement was all the more impressive considering he had arrived with his father and brother in Maine only three years earlier, seeking asylum from Angola.
For the music and audio composition, Harris turned to his long-term collaborators the musical composers Dougal Drummond and Kristian Gilroy. The music composition for Conductor has been composed specifically for the ‘Light of Stars’ reading by João Victor, and is itself an immersive experience.