Poetry of Motion

Overview

Machines that resist being harnessed as tools? Devices that would rather tell stories than raise production efficiency? The kinetic artworks in this exhibit turn movement into a fantasy-filled experience!

Project List

Bellows
“Bellows” translates the principle of the zoetrope into the 21st century. 200 years ago, viewers peered through slits cut into the walls of a rotating cylinder at a sequence of static images on its interior wall; the cylinder’s rotation seemed to animate the images. Now, Dyer has replaced the images with hand-painted 3D computer prints, and the human eye with a camera. Here, though, the... more
Kinetic Gallery
“Kinetic” is a term from the field of physics. It refers to energy that results from a body’s motion. In kinetic art objects, mechanical motion constitutes an aesthetic component of the installation.
The beginnings of this artform can be traced back to the kinetic light and motion objects created by Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, as well as to the constructivist machines o... more
L–E–D–LED–L–ED
The title of this piece refers to the configuration of hundreds of bead-shaped LED lights lined up on parallel horizontal wires along which they can be moved freely back and forth. This is a new technique of emitting light, whereby a coil inside each one of the beads converts the magnetic field generated by the electric current in the wires into energy. The aim was to straightforwardly expr... more
Machine with 22 Scraps of Paper (# 1 of 5)
A flock of birds, butterflies, or leaves fluttering in the breeze—nature engenders an atmosphere of harmony in utterly simple fashion. This was the source of Arthur Ganson’s inspiration. Scraps of paper driven by a finely tuned mechanism are set into gentle motion. In every one of his machines, Arthur Ganson sees in some way a self-portrait. For this piece, the artist has been lea... more
Machine with Concrete (1992)
The human being is the only creature on Earth capable of building machines that can outlive their creator. The speed at which the cogwheels in “Machine with Concrete” turn is slowed down by 12 pairs of reductors. The last cogwheel needs two trillion years to complete one rotation. In contrast to this figure, mankind first appeared on Earth only a few million years ago. Whereas the everyda... more
Machine with Eggshells
It is possible to make a toy out of anything. This machine was born out of the impulse to play and the accidental discovery of the sonic potential of the eggshell. It is both a farcical meditation on the complexity of complex gear ratios and a machine for sending a strange and unique ‘Morse code’ message to the far reaches of the universe.... more
Margot's Other Cat
The idea that led to “Margot’s Other Cat” came to Ganson while he was dealing with a computer program that simulates movements of an object on the Moon. He got the urge to develop a mechanical sculpture that displays motion with the very same elegance. In “Margot’s Other Cat,” Ganson seemingly deactivates the laws of nature—here, the gravitational field. While the cat moves unif... more
Quartet
Award of Distinction in the Interactive Art category at Prix Ars Electronica 2008. Become the fourth member of a musical quartet, by entering a short melodic theme through a simple web interface. The custom software expands your theme into a unique three-minute piece of music. The music is played by the three robotic members of the Quartet: The first is a ballistic marimba, which launches rub... more
Structured creature
“structured creature” is a prototype for an architectural element of the future. It interacts with its surroundings and the inhabitants of those surroundings. As a prototype, “structured creature” also reacts to human behavior. The three sculptures go through a cycle of rising and collapsing. When you approach one of the sculptures, they react collectively. The organic... more
Thinking Chair
Where does inanimate material end and where does life begin? Arthur Ganson lets his “Thinking Chair” straddle the boundary between those two states. Through its movements—which resemble the gait of a human being walking on two legs—the chair exhibits animate traits. Arthur Ganson had the idea that led to this work while taking a walk. Near his studio, there is a small rock outcropping... more