BOREAS

This installation for Beakerhead 2016 was proposed in collaboration with Spencer Cutten.  

BOREAS is a linear kinetic sculpture that reacts to both wind and direct physical interaction. It responds with dynamic movement, light, and sound. The installation that can be quiet and meditative, responding to subtle winds, or vibrant and exciting, acting as a performance piece for a large audience.

The piece consists of simple, repeated elements that rotate with wind load or physical interaction. These elements are counterweighted, and respond like pendulums to eventually return to a vertical position. The rotating elements are linked with translucent elastic fabric so movement is transmitted to adjacent elements, so that waves and ripples can propagate through the structure.

Each element reacts to its rotation through illumination and a generated audio response. The intensity and colour of the light, along with the volume and tone of sound, responds to the degree of rotation. The result is a playful, engaging, multi-sensory system that layers numerous simple responses into a complex, ever-changing event.