{"id":40772,"date":"2019-11-24T15:01:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=40772"},"modified":"2019-11-24T15:01:03","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:01:03","slug":"500-terahertz-border-crossing-light-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/500-terahertz-border-crossing-light-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"500 TeraHertz border-crossing \u201clight bridge\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Ed, who writes:<\/p>\n

SWLing Post readers might be interested in hearing this BBC World Service radio documentary about a political tech art project that uses visible light beam voice comms across the Mexico<>U.S. border to bridge communities. There’s a website that explains how it all works<\/a>. I guess ~500 TeraHertz is technically radio?<\/p>\n

(Source: BBC World Service<\/a>)<\/p>\n

BBC World Service – In the Studio<\/h2>\n

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer\u2019s Border Tuner<\/h2>\n

Released On: 19 Nov 2019<\/p>\n

Imagine huge searchlights which can be seen over a ten mile, 15 kilometer radius talking to one another across two countries. This is exactly what electronic media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is creating this November between Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez in Mexico and El Paso in Texas.<\/p>\n

Called Border Tuner, the project will see enormous bridges of light connecting the US-Mexico border for the first time.<\/p>\n

When lights from the stations (three on each side) are directed at each other and they manage to make a connection, a massive bridge of light is formed. This activates microphones and speakers allowing participants to communicate with one another across the border. The \u201clight bridge\u201d flickers like morse code as the participants listen and speak to one another. If they don\u2019t like what they are hearing they can retune to a different light beam.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has used search lights in his art but he\u2019s never done anything on this scale or with this complexity before. Born in Mexico City in 1967, he first produced a remote-controlled searchlight project in 1999 for the Z\u00f3calo Square in Mexico City. Since then he has created installations in dozens of cities around the world where the public controls the searchlights using the internet, mobile phones, megaphones or heart rate sensors.<\/p>\n

Presented by Monica Ortiz Uribe
\nProduced by Emma Betteridge for the BBC World Service<\/p>\n

Click here to listen via the BBC World Service.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Fascinating concept! Thank you for sharing, Ed!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: SWLing Post readers might be interested in hearing this BBC World Service radio documentary about a political tech art project that uses visible light beam voice comms across the Mexico<>U.S. border to bridge communities. There’s a website that explains how it all works. I guess ~500 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[508,3],"tags":[8155],"class_list":["post-40772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art-2","category-news","tag-rafael-lozano-hemmer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aBC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":66022,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-4-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":0},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 4, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC ERS broadcast. 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Carlos notes: BBC Emergency Radio Service https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/LggM7mvnTRg?si=5CgY_WhCMF1KYrJn Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66049,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-6-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":2},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 6, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC Emergency Radio Service broadcast. 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Carlos notes:\u00a0 BBC'S emergency radio service, 15280 kHz https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/skoP9VQHgDA?si=KNt6F_CmlYjhQ31o Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/April-27-2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/April-27-2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/April-27-2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/April-27-2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/April-27-2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55478,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/01\/carlos-shortwave-art-and-recording-of-bbc-world-service-jan-27-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":5},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Shortwave Art and recording of BBC World Service (Jan 27, 2023)","author":"Thomas","date":"January 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares\u00a0his radio log art of a recent broadcast from the BBC World Service (Somali Language Service). Carlos\u2019 goal is to vividly illustrate the broadcaster\u2019s message in his own unique artistic style and is not a reflection of his own beliefs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Carlos-Latuff-Card.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Carlos-Latuff-Card.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Carlos-Latuff-Card.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Carlos-Latuff-Card.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Carlos-Latuff-Card.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40772\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}