Chris Levine's 'Higher Power' Laser Installation Illuminates Venice Sky for Biennale
During the opening days of the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, British artist Chris Levine has installed 'Higher Power,' a week-long laser installation that projects a green ring over the Venetian lagoon. The public artwork is beamed from San Clemente Island and is visible across the city from May 4th to 11th, each evening until midnight. The installation uses a modified military-grade laser system developed with German engineers and physicists, operating at 515 nanometers to produce a pure green frequency. The beam oscillates at 432hz, a frequency associated with meditative practices. Depending on weather and airborne particles, the beam appears as a vertical line or a sharply defined halo suspended over the water. Test projections were reportedly visible from the International Space Station. Levine, known for working with light as both image and physical experience, describes the work as a collective invitation to look up and meditate, creating peace in uncertain times.
Key facts
- Chris Levine's 'Higher Power' is a laser installation in Venice during the 2026 Venice Art Biennale.
- The installation runs from May 4th to 11th, 2026, visible each evening until midnight.
- The laser is projected from San Clemente Island and uses a modified military-grade system developed with German engineers.
- The beam operates at 515 nanometers (green) and oscillates at 432hz.
- Test projections were reportedly visible from the International Space Station.
- The artwork is a public piece, turning the Venetian skyline into an active canvas.
- Levine emphasizes meditation and collective looking up as key aspects of the work.
- Photography by Francesco Semenzato and Selim Uyar.
Entities
Artists
- Chris Levine
Institutions
- Venice Art Biennale
- San Clemente Island
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- San Clemente Island
- Venetian lagoon