‘The Meaning of Meaning’ explores the idea of a universal language or method of communication that would enable contact with extraterrestrial beings. Using images and sound – and reflecting on previous attempts at interplanetary communication – the artist offers a different, perhaps more appropriate, language of communication. With traffic lights as the main material, the piece combines simple luminous pictograms to create new semantic structures to address an unknown intelligence and question the way in which these signs address us.

After completing her studies in literature at the University of Lausanne, Swiss artist Sophie Guyot took up visual art in self-taught fashion. Lighting soon proved to be her favourite material, with her light installations often addressing environmental themes and standing as metaphors for the state of humanity. Whether large-scale or modestly sized, her work demonstrates a flawless relationship between humans and their biotope.