Haroon Mirza, Alchemic means to an End (Solar Cell Circuit Composition 28), 2023

2023

Medium

Photovoltaic cells, wire, magnet wire, copper tape, polyurethane resin, echinopsis peruviana, PCB, operational amplifier, atropa belladonna, LEDs and silicone on glass

Dimensions

62 × 62 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-155807

Haroon Mirza's "Solar Cell Circuit Compositions" are composed of solar cells and copper strips to form a geometric mandala, which generate an electric circuit and in the middle of which LEDs light up depending on the incidence of light. In "Alchemic means to an End (Solar Cell Circuit Composition 28)", Mirza also casts parts of psychoactive plants, such as the cactus Echinopsis Peruviana and the belladonna Atropa Belladonna, as well as an operational amplifier for regulating electronic voltage, in polyurethane resin. He also uses this to treat the glass surface and add a fluid component to the work. In this series, Mirza combines the form of the mandala as a meditation object with technoid elements and, through alienation, creates a contemporary transformation that ties in with mythical phenomena and shamanistic rituals and brings together references between technology, nature and consciousness. The shape of the eight-pointed star results from the composition and combination of the solar cells - as a religious symbol, the star has a cultural presence from antiquity to the present day in a wide variety of contexts and often symbolizes transcendence.