Acclaimed British artist Chris Levine has created an immersive artwork at Egypt‘s sacred Giza pyramid complex to encourage viewers to connect with the ancientarchaeological site by reaching a state of stillness.
Renowned for his portraits of the late Queen and exploration of light to heighten awareness and perception, Levine’s latest installation at Art D’Egypte‘s Forever Is Now exhibition from now until 16 November, sees him working with the medium of sunlight for the first time.
Titled Quadrivium – the ancient study of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and Pythagoreans believed sound, which the to be essential for understanding the laws of the universe – the 4m-high tensile sculpture at the famous site outside Cairo, tracks the sun’s movements and is, like the Great Pyramid, aligned true north.
Image courtesy of the artist
Levine integrated sunlight into the structure, drawing on the intriguing connection between the Great Pyramid’s latitude (29.9792458°N) and the speed of light (299,792,458 m/s). This, among other coincidences, has fueled beliefs that the Ancient Egyptians were spiritually in tune with the universe. Notable observations include how the Great Pyramid’s 6-million-tonne mass, multiplied by 100,000,000, equals the overall mass of the Earth, and the layout of Giza’s three pyramids aligns with the relative separation of Orion’s Belt stars.
Levine’s Quadrivium design, described as “a circuit powered by Divine intervention,” is based on astronomical numbers, ratios, and geometry inspired by the Great Pyramid’s mathematical connection to the cosmos. Each element echoes the pyramid’s dimensions and angles. For instance, the two dichroic glass discs and one copper disc, connected by a steel pole, are proportionally sized according to the Earth and Moon’s diameters—highlighting the pyramid’s alignment with the triangle formed by the Earth’s diameter and the distance to the Moon’s center.
Image courtesy of the artist
As sunlight moves across the reflective discs, the rays refract, creating an oval-shaped shadow on the ground and a square-shaped base made from the same locally-sourced granite used in the pyramids. At a specific point during the year, shadows will completely cover the base, potentially solving the ancient geometric riddle of ‘Squaring the Circle,’ according to Levine.
Additional elements of the structure include a crystal sphere made from crystallized water, representing ancient waterways beneath the Pyramid, and a conductive copper coil symbolizing energy flow and serving as an antenna for electrical forces.
Levine has incorporated two healing frequencies from the ancient Solfeggio scale—528 Hz and 432 Hz—often used in meditation, healing, and manifestation. These were showcased during the opening night on October 26. Overall, Levine hopes that visitors exploring the immersive installation will find a place of stillness and connect with the Great Pyramid’s invisible energy.
Chris Levine explains, “We are electrical beings; light is a magnetic, electromagnetic force, and around the Earth is a grid circuit of electric energy. Megalithic structures like the pyramids tap into that, and certain stones—granite in particular—can manipulate the flux of the electrical field.
“Most of us are numb to this ancient wisdom, but your attention can be drawn to the invisible power of the site—its energy, its alignment with ley lines, sun cycles, and cosmic cycles. It evokes a sense of awe that brings you to the present moment.
Image courtesy of the artist
“The Ancient Egyptians lived through their third eye, which connected the physical and spiritual worlds, allowing them to tap into Earth’s energy. In our modern world, this is beyond most of our understanding because our bandwidth of perception is quite limited. We’re so distracted by what we can feel and touch and disconnected from our hearts, only dealing with what’s in the here and now.
“Through my work, I try to connect with a more divine realm beyond the distractions of modern life, enabling people to connect with something much bigger, even just for a moment. This work resonates harmoniously with the Great Pyramid, helping people tune into something beyond our understanding. You don’t have to comprehend the Great Pyramid’s calculations; you just have to feel it.
“You’re not thinking about what someone might have said to you or a problem at work. It welcomes you into a meditative zone, cultivating positivity, optimism, and harmony. If I can help a viewer achieve that, even briefly, then my work is fulfilling its purpose.”
Quadrivium is the first installment of a new chapter in Levine’s work, titled The Divine Intelligence of the Sun, centering on the Egyptian pyramids. Levine first encountered them 15 years ago during a visit to Cairo, where he was staging a laser performance for a fashion show at the British Embassy. During a pre-sunrise visit to the sacred site, Levine and his sound engineer, Marco Perri, spent 15 minutes alone in silence in the King’s Chamber—an experience that fully opened his eyes to the pyramids’ mystical power.
Levine recalls, “When Marco returned to London and played an audio recording he made in the chamber, there was the distinctive sound of a dog barking. The Egyptian god Anubis is represented by a jackal and is said to protect tombs and the souls of the dead. Just recalling that moment gives me goosebumps. Experiencing something so spiritual drew me closer to the pyramids, and I knew one day I’d return to work with them, which I now genuinely feel I’ve been called to do.
“The Art D’Egypt Forever Is Now exhibition is my marker in the sand, an appetizer ahead of something bigger. My work in Egypt feels truly exciting.”
©2024 Chris Levine
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