Qiuwen Lyu's Metal Record Translates Sound into Sculptural Artifact

Qiuwen Lyu, an interdisciplinary artist and designer, has unveiled "A Billion Solitary Universes," a sculptural sound piece crafted from aluminum, nickel, and cubic zirconia. This creation reimagines NASA's Voyager Golden Record through innovative material use and speculative design, converting sound into a tangible object. Audio samples were arranged into a seamless sequence, then transferred onto lacquer and electroformed into a nickel master disc. The shiny metallic finish alludes to industrial production and astronomical tools, while the etched satellite imagery on the back suggests themes of cartography and planetary exploration. Hand-carved elements and cubic zirconia inlays provide a striking material contrast. The project explores human existence through shared mortality and the fragility of time, blending personal recordings with public and historical narratives. It navigates the realms of recording medium, archival artifact, and sculptural memorial, reflecting on how memory, communication, and human presence endure over time.