The idea of the light steles goes back to the Saharap project, which Heinz Mack first conceived in 1958. It is based on the idea of a reflecting stele that captures the glistening light in the vast and empty desert and forms a vibrant sun pilar. The first light stele was made of aluminum and was realized in Paris in 1959. Various models in different materials, free-standing or in transparent boxes, followed. The steles are basically an elongated form of Mack's light reliefs, which visualize the motion of light through the reflection on bulged metal surfaces - a quest that characterizes Heinz Mack's entire creation.