Kinetic Monument
This sculpture was made for a "Post Monument" assignment. I wanted to distance my work as far as possible from conventional, static “monuments” which fill public spaces today.
I created an interactive and movable sculpture that explores the issue of personal space in a public area. Due to the coronavirus, concerns about space and where we should exist in it have become familiar to many. The post monument would emphasize the space and identity of the viewer in particular and contemplate the relationship between the two.
My inspiration came from kinetic art - an art movement that focuses on motion in art pieces.
Kinetic art exists in not only the dimension of space but also time. While traditional monuments display the dimension of time through history, kinetic art allows the viewer to experience their own time in the present.
Kinetic art exists in not only the dimension of space but also time. While traditional monuments display the dimension of time through history, kinetic art allows the viewer to experience their own time in the present.
After researching several options of movement, I found the Hoberman sphere - an isokinetic structure that expands and contracts by using intersecting joints.
Instead of creating a spherical structure, I used the joints to make a moveable circular shape. The mechanism is made of plastic cardboard and machine screws. On the inside of the structure, legs lift it up from the ground. They are made out of PVC pipes and act as handles that control the movement of the piece.
To fully expand the circle, several viewers may be needed. The personal space of the viewer will be consciously increased and decreased as the joints of the mechanism smoothly glide back and forth through space.
Instead of creating a spherical structure, I used the joints to make a moveable circular shape. The mechanism is made of plastic cardboard and machine screws. On the inside of the structure, legs lift it up from the ground. They are made out of PVC pipes and act as handles that control the movement of the piece.
To fully expand the circle, several viewers may be needed. The personal space of the viewer will be consciously increased and decreased as the joints of the mechanism smoothly glide back and forth through space.