“Phronesis”[ froh-nee-sis ] [noun]“to think, be minded, be wise” 

Grounded In The Past: Phronesis is a new dynamic illuminated site-specific sculpture by Jen Lewin, created for the Cincinnati Public Library. In this work, Lewin looks both into the past and the future. Inspired by the research of Dr. Stephen Bertman, a professor of Languages, Literature, and Cultures at the University of Windsor in Canada, Lewin crafted eight large illuminated sculptures, each representing a guiding principle of ancient Greek wisdom: Humanism, The Pursuit of Excellence, The Practice of Moderation, Self-Knowledge, Rationalism, Restless Curiosity, The Love of Freedom, and Individualism. These principles and their ancient roots remind us of the vast breadth of human knowledge, curiosity, and history, much of which is preserved and shared through the Library.

Moving into the Future: Although rooted in the past, the eight pillared forms of Phronesis look towards the future. Each glowing, dynamic pedestal is wrapped in a binary translation of its principle, merging our fundamental past with the language of our digital future. The height and size of each pillar directly reflect its encoded binary message. This work symbolizes the continuity and evolution of human wisdom, bridging ancient insights with modern technological expression.

Technical Details: The eight pillars of Phronesis range in height from 13 feet to 28 feet and include a custom wireless mesh LED system personally created and coded by Jen Lewin. Designed so that no sequence is ever the same, Phronesis features an original flow and color-changing pattern that mimics the way the wind rustles through the trees. As with all of Lewin’s work, each color, transition, and moment within the dynamic, ever-changing illuminated landscape of Phronesis was meticulously coded by Lewin with care and precision. The installation comprises over 29,000 LEDs, creating a stunning and immersive visual experience.

The 8 Pillars of Phronesis: Binary Translation What is “Binary”
Binary (noun): In computing, binary is a system of communication that uses only two symbols, typically 0 and 1, to represent and process data. Each digit in a binary number is called a bit, and combinations of these bits can represent complex instructions and information.

Historical Importance: Binary code is crucial because it forms the foundation of all modern computing systems. Historically, the simplicity of the binary system made it ideal for early computers, allowing for straightforward implementation in digital electronic circuits. This laid the groundwork for the development of advanced computing technology, revolutionizing fields such as science, engineering, and communication.

Phronesis Binary Translations:

01001000 01110101 01101101 01100001 01101110 01101001 01110011 01101101 [Humanism]

01010000 01110101 01110010 01110011 01110101 01101001 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01000101 01111000 01100011 01100101 01101100 01101100 01100101 01101110 01100011 01100101 [Pursuit of Excellence]

01001101 01101111 01100100 01100101 01110010 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 [Moderation]

01010011 01100101 01101100 01100110 00101101 01001011 01101110 01101111 01110111 01101100 01100101 01100100 01100111 01100101 [Self-Knowledge]

01010010 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 01100001 01101100 01101001 01110011 01101101 [Rationalism]

01010010 01100101 01110011 01110100 01101100 01100101 01110011 01110011 00100000 01000011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01101111 01110011 01101001 01110100 01111001 [Restless Curiosity]

01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01000110 01110010 01100101 01100101 01100100 01101111 01101101  [The Love of Freedom]

01001001 01101110 01100100 01101001 01110110 01101001 01100100 01110101 01100001 01101100 01101001 01110011 01101101 [Individualism]

*Inspired by the research of Stephen Bermen PhD and is book “The Eight Pillars of Greek Wisdom”, 2007