the anemone
this is a project I worked on for the last 3 months (excluded the russia trip, of which I shall still post photos): the anemone.
Do Not Wake What is Not Asleep! (description)
Most people think sleep is a state of unawareness and tranquility which is disturbed by awakening. Being awake, however, is often considered a state of alertness and activity. To demonstrate our ideas about switching between these states we first chose the German proverb: “If bad luck is asleep, you should not awaken it”. Later we changed our statement into “Do not wake what is not asleep”.
We used the sea anemone as a metaphor for our installation. This anemone seems to invert our usual concept of awakening. When there is no reason for alarm, anemones let their tentacles drift quietly in the sea. The current slowly makes the tentacles move to and fro as though the anemones were breathing regularly in their sleep. While this movement suggests the anemones are fast asleep, it is actually their most active state! “Wake” an anemone, and the creature withdraws its tentacles in sudden retreat. It even seems to break a certain illusion, as if the pretty tentacles were a disturbed dream.
In our first experiments we made air flow through tentacles of synthetic fabric. However, we decided to use the natural environment of water for our Anemone. The lower tentacles flow in water, and five longer tentacles (containing sensors) stick into the air. When somebody comes too near the Anemone and touches one of the longer tentacles, all tentacles will lower themselves as a sign of retreat. As the Anemone retreats the black light switches to a bright light.
The installation only “awakens” when it is given some quiet time…
(note: we should make a video of this project, because it's a very 'living' installation, a feature hardly capture-able on photos)
. on exhibition till sunday, at scheltema, leiden, netherlands. see some prvious post for the address on the flyer.
Do Not Wake What is Not Asleep! (description)
Most people think sleep is a state of unawareness and tranquility which is disturbed by awakening. Being awake, however, is often considered a state of alertness and activity. To demonstrate our ideas about switching between these states we first chose the German proverb: “If bad luck is asleep, you should not awaken it”. Later we changed our statement into “Do not wake what is not asleep”.
We used the sea anemone as a metaphor for our installation. This anemone seems to invert our usual concept of awakening. When there is no reason for alarm, anemones let their tentacles drift quietly in the sea. The current slowly makes the tentacles move to and fro as though the anemones were breathing regularly in their sleep. While this movement suggests the anemones are fast asleep, it is actually their most active state! “Wake” an anemone, and the creature withdraws its tentacles in sudden retreat. It even seems to break a certain illusion, as if the pretty tentacles were a disturbed dream.
In our first experiments we made air flow through tentacles of synthetic fabric. However, we decided to use the natural environment of water for our Anemone. The lower tentacles flow in water, and five longer tentacles (containing sensors) stick into the air. When somebody comes too near the Anemone and touches one of the longer tentacles, all tentacles will lower themselves as a sign of retreat. As the Anemone retreats the black light switches to a bright light.
The installation only “awakens” when it is given some quiet time…
(note: we should make a video of this project, because it's a very 'living' installation, a feature hardly capture-able on photos)
. on exhibition till sunday, at scheltema, leiden, netherlands. see some prvious post for the address on the flyer.