Advatek x Chaos Engine Art Studio

Who is Chaos Engine Art Studio?

Chaos Engine Art Studio is a Danish art studio founded in 2017 by artist Magnus Fuhr. The studio creates large scale light installations and sculptural works for public spaces, combining artistic vision with advanced engineering and custom developed LED systems. Working at the intersection of art, architecture and technology, Chaos Engine develops permanent installations where light is treated as a spatial material, shaping atmosphere, perception and human movement within the built environment.

The Project

Dråben is a permanent light installation located in Odense, Denmark, in a pedestrian tunnel beneath the city’s former main train station. The tunnel functions as a primary urban connection used daily by residents and visitors.

The installation was commissioned by Odense Municipality as part of a broader urban safety initiative. The ambition was not simply to illuminate the space, but to transform it. The goal was to shift the tunnel from a purely functional passage into a place with rhythm, depth and presence.

I am particularly drawn to spaces that are not designed as experience spaces, but as functional infrastructure. Passages, tunnels and transitional spaces shape how a city feels, even if we rarely stop to notice them.

Magnus Fuhr – Founder at Chaos Engine Art Studio

To realize this, Chaos Engine developed a technical system specifically engineered for the site, including a custom designed PCB and custom-built dual diode LED strips. The system was created for increased light output, structural precision and long-term durability in a demanding public environment operating year-round.

The Solution

Dråben consists of 13,375 individually addressable RGB pixels distributed across 107 custom LED strips. Each strip contains 125 addressable pixels, comprising 250 RGB diodes and 375 control channels, with dual diodes per pixel to provide increased light output without increasing control complexity.

The strips are integrated into 107 sculptural layers forming a three-dimensional light structure spanning approximately 12 meters (40 feet). The form is inspired by the exact moment a drop impacts the surface of water. The layered construction creates a volumetric field of light, allowing animations to propagate outward as ripples through space rather than across a flat surface.

Chaos Engine also designed a custom mounting system that enables precise edge lighting of each sculptural layer. The system ensures clean light integration, straightforward maintenance and long-term structural stability in a public environment.

The result is not merely illumination, but a controlled spatial phenomenon. A shifting field of light that subtly alters perception and creates a heightened sense of awareness within the tunnel. For a brief moment, the tunnel is no longer just a passage, but a place.

The ambition with Dråben was never to create a light show. It was to introduce rhythm, calm and direction into a space people move through everyday

Magnus Fuhr – Founder at Chaos Engine Art Studio

By integrating depth, rhythm and movement, the installation enhanced both aesthetic experience and perceived safety without resorting to excess brightness or visual noise.

Advatek's Role

Dråben is controlled by a PixLite® E16-S Mk3 controller, selected for its stability and performance in a permanent 24/7 public installation. Operating a high-density sculpture of 13,375 pixels in a demanding environment requires reliability at every level.

The PixLite® platform enabled precise control and long-term operational stability, which is essential when a public artwork becomes part of a city’s infrastructure.

The Result

The project is currently undergoing expansion. The next phase will extend the light animations throughout the entire tunnel, spanning more than 150 meters (500 feet). This will be powered by a PixLite® T8-S Mk3 Long Range transmitter, allowing synchronized propagation of animations from the central sculpture into the tunnel’s existing lighting system.

As part of this extension, Chaos Engine is developing a custom add on for the tunnel’s luminaires, using the ceiling as a reflective surface. This creates a continuous and subtle light layer that carries the artwork beyond its sculptural core and into the full spatial length of the tunnel.

Through this expansion, Dråben evolves from a singular installation into a distributed spatial system, connecting art, architecture and infrastructure into one continuous light experience.

Special thanks to Chaos Engine Art Studio and Magnus Fuhr