Mixed Signals / Segased Signaalid 2026
Mixed Signals / Segased Signaalid is an immersive art installation by Renzo van Steenbergen and Kristjan Pütsep that revives the mechanical poetry of flap displays and split-flap mechanisms — vintage technologies once widely used in airports and train stations to display and communicate information.
In a world saturated with digital screens, where human attention is tied to smartphones and LEDs, this installation offers a sensory counterbalance: the celebration of tactile, rhythmic analog systems’ sounds.
Custom-designed panels, inspired by the mechanics of flap displays and split-flap indicators, create a captivating chorus of clicks, snaps, and whirs as they transition through abstract configurations and composed distributions. These mechanical rhythms, combined with the subtle light modulations produced by the panels’ movements, evoke nostalgia for an era when information was transmitted through physical, audible processes.
Besides repurposing technology from the past, the installation is built on 100 vintage tin food containers. These dry storage containers have been present in households since the 50’s, which adds to the familiarity and nostalgia of the work.
By varying the speed and patterns of the panels’ movement, the work shifts from calming, meditative rhythms to dynamic, unpredictable bursts of sound and light. The interplay of light and shadow, arising from the panels’ rotation and repositioning, adds a visual layer that merges with the sonic experience.
The 100 mechanical sculptures are distributed through a dimly lit, minimalist space, inviting visitors to move freely among them. Human movement intertwines with the rhythmic pulse of the machines in an organic choreography — an invitation to switch off and surrender to the hypnotic interplay of flickering lights, rhythmic sounds and mechanical motion.
Mixed Signals premiered in Tallinn in April 2026 and opened the Estonian theatre festival DRAAMA 2026 at the Samelini factory in Tartu, 7–12 September 2026.