Waterlight Graffiti

French artist Antonin Fourneau’s interactive exhibit known as Waterlight Graffiti recalls a combination of two classic childhood toys: the Etch A Sketch and Lite Brite. However, to draw on Fourneau’s installation, a wall made of thousands of LED lights, there are no dials to turn or bulbs to plug in — all you need is water.

In 2011, Fourneau went to China where he discovered dishu, a form of Chinese street art that uses water to paint calligraphy. This, and the cities’ LED billboards that “burned into his retina” formed the idea of a wall of light that the public could interact and play with. When he returned to France, he presented the city of Poitiers with a small prototype for a light festival happening in the city that summer. He then spent 6 months building the full-scale version for display. Since then, Waterlight Graffiti has been exhibited all over the world, including at California’s Maker Faire Bay Area in 2024.

According to Fourneau, the materials used are so simple he could have invented the piece 40 years earlier when blue LEDs became available. In addition to blue and white LED lights, the piece is made of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Water acts as an electrical connection when touching the flower-shaped sensors around the LEDs, causing them to light up. The more water used, the more points on the sensor get connected, which lowers the resistance and makes the LEDs glow brighter. So a wet paint brush, cloth, or even raindrops can make dazzling displays. When the water dries, the images fade, creating a sustainable piece that people can enjoy creating designs on over and over.

Find more at antoninfourneau.com.

This article appeared in Make: Vol 94.

Featured image by Antonin Fourneau