Haegue Yang is one of the eleven artists exhibiting at Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Exhibition to be held in the Middle East. The program will include art interventions in the public space by local and international artists. The conceptual framework of the Public Art Progamme of Expo 2020 Dubai is inspired by Ibn al Haytham, famous Arab mathematician, astronomer, physicist and author of seminal work, Book of Optics (c. 11th century CE).

Orreries are beautifully crafted mechanical planetary models of the solar system that illustrate the positions and motions of planets and moons and are operated by a clockwork mechanism, yet not necessarily built to scale. Haegue Yang’s Sonic Planetarium – Dripping Lunar Sextet is suggestive of a grand planetary model and is also an extension of her ongoing series, titled Sonic Sculptures, which employs metallic bells.
Adorned with numerous bells, Sonic Planetarium explores the metaphorical and physical potential of bells, drawing on their sonic associations with spiritual and mystical traditions across civilisations. The six arms are connected to a web of perforated plate designs, which are variations on Islamic geometric patterns. Their distinct orientation towards cyclical movement and geometric subdivision unfold in an endless diversity of polygonal and floral patterns.
The spherical heads of Sonic Planetarium resonate with the contours of planetary bodies in the universe. The work alludes to the achievements of Arab mathematician, astronomer and physicist Ibn Al-Haytham (c. 965 – c. 1040 CE) and his work on perception, based on his observations of the moon appearing larger or smaller depending on the position of the viewer.

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