A Spectacle
Kinetic Sculpture
By placing multiple convex mirrors as points along a line, I noticed how I could see several different perspectives right from where I was seated. (Like placing multiple cameras along a line to capture movement) I had fragmented the whole into parts. It was like sitting in a surveillance room of some sort of multiverse.
“The world of the senses is real, but it must be known for what it is: unity appearing as multiplicity” — The Bhagavad Gita (Introduced and Translated by Eknath Easwaran)
This image made me want to define my user.
The restless, distracted — consumer- the kind with multiple tabs open. The multitasker who rejoiced when ‘Picture- in-Picture’ (PIP) was introduced. The one who would prefer to forward live television. The one with an endless FOMO. The one who’d rather be doing anything else- or everything else.
I wondered what would happen if these little mirrors could move. It took me to the realm of kinetic sculpture; it took me back to a section in my undergrad thesis paper:
Nicolas Schoffer’s introduction of cybernetics into sculpture has widened the horizons to animating space making it possible to obtain a “continually renewed spectacle from works of art” by introducing movement into two-dimensional works (Habasque 1957, 38) Schoffer produces continually moving wall-paintings by varying the distance between light sources and his moving-pedestal borne sculptures. (39) This demonstrates that works of art are no longer “fixed and immobile” (42) It is no more the “petrification of a privileged moment or aspect, it is a spectacle.” In order to access such work in it’s entirety, either the object or the spectator must shift their perspectives (43)
— Sakthivel, Karthika. 2016. “A Guardian’s Guide to Animating Spaces”
I found the following piece to be a relevant example.
And then there was, aeronautical engineer and artist Frank Malina and his kinetic systems working with light, reflections and movement are an absolute sight to behold — a dance of science and art.
I found artist Gyula Kosice to have the most wonderful aesthetic. His kinetic, luminal artwork visually resonated with what I was going for in my own work.
I then came across an absolutely inspiring set of instructions, written by Hans Haacke. It gave me a sense of direction.
…make something which experiences, reacts to its environment, changes, is nonstable…
…make something indeterminate, which always looks different, the shape of which cannot be predicted precisely…
…make something which cannot ‘perform’ without the assistance of its environment …
…make something which reacts to light and temperature changes, is subject to air currents and depends, in its functioning, on the forces of gravity…
…make something, which the ‘spectator’ handles, with which he plays and thus animates it…
…make something which lives in time and make the ‘spectator’ experience time…
…articulate something natural…
Hans Haacke ‘ untitled statement’ (1965)
Keeping this in mind, I allowed myself to explore the various possibilities. How could I incorporate these wonderful suggestions into my work? Over the course of the project I had a lot of fun experimenting with materiality and interactivity. I worked with screens, both digital and physical.
A lot of ideas came and went, from rowlux illusion films to projection mapping on mirror balls, from screw caps to accidental holograms.
It’s been a kinetic few months. Here is a video chronicling the shenanigans.
My structure was inspired by the sensorama, something that has always fascinated me.
It also took from these interesting disappearing boxes.
Guess there is a faint connection to the ‘magic’ I had started off with.
I must admit the user test turned into some sort of strange steam inhalation. Just what the doctor ordered.
With the final exam out of the way, the next big checkpoint is the final exhibition itself. (Note to self: Please do not hibernate through winter)
