Encountering the research of Nobel Prize laureates May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser on the brain’s positioning system, our inner GPS, artist Eva Beierheimer became interested in their findings on grid cells in the brain. In previous works, she has explored triangular shapes and “connect-the-dots” systems, which are also present in this artwork.

Experiment draws on spatial orientation and the triangular patterns observed in Moser’s experiments. These triangular shapes resonate with Sergels Torg’s iconic black and white floor pattern.

With Experiment, the pattern expands into a third dimension, up and within the stairs. An animation creates the feeling of movement of the triangular shapes in an artwork that is directly built into the steps themselves. The animation reacts to activity in a specific zone within the square. On one level, the random movements of passersby influence the installation, while those who choose to engage more deliberately can interact with it by moving purposefully within the interactive zone. The space becomes a giant mouse pad, where the participants become the “mouse” in the experiment, interacting with the art.