Machines

 
A poetic laboratory in search of time
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Research sketches for the Metronome prototypes.

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Métronomes machines with feathers, NY 2020.

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Successive prototypes of the Astrolabe.

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Wind tunnel machine with wood saddle sculpture, NY 2020.

Description

The eight Metronome machines are inspired by the oscillating movement giving precise timing to musicians. The tangled ticks create an asynchronous rhythm, to remind the time that flees. A red button invites visitors to stop the movement, suspending this asynchronous rhythm for a moment.

The two Astrolabe machines reinterpret the function of astral clock in an arrangement of off-center rods drawing a ∞-shaped movement, questioning the scale of time as we perceive it. On one of the astrolabe, a fan inflates a fabric, creating an astral sail with light variations.

The two Wind Tunnel machines are halfway between hourglass and aerodynamic test machine. A sphere seems to float in the middle of a swirl of white particles. The speed of the whirlpool is variable.

The Sextant machine metamorphoses the maritime navigation tool. Its function is reversed: from a passive reading and navigation tool, it becomes a mechanical projection tool. A beam of light comes out of the sighting scope and projects a moving light onto a concave disc.

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