One of the most important figure of the Kinetic Art is Takis.
He is a Greek artist who used magnetism or electromagnet as forces in his sculptures.
I was lucky to have the possibility to attend at the exhibition the Tate Modern offer exactly in these months. To see in person a piece of art add lots of significance and direct contact with it. there is no filter and the piece can be seen at 360 grades in its meaning, size and context.
I was fascinating particularly from the piece Magnetic Field that seems a field of "iron roses", attracted from a hang magnet which moving round, making each of the piece of iron moves.
Magnetic Fields (1969) Available at: http://artangled.com/2019/09/15/takis-tate/
It amazing how such a simple principle as magnet turns a simple show of a type of an energy in a suggestive artwork. The positioning of bunches of "metal flowers" with a magnet swinging in the middle, one after the another, create a pleasant visual composition far from the cold scientific principle used.
Another work that I admired is Musicals, a "space sounds" as Takis called it, composed by nine wall-mounted panels, each with instrumental strings pulled by metal rods activated by magnets. A single notes is produced by each of them and all together create a whole sound.
Musicals (1985-2004) Available at: http://www.ianthearchitect.org/takis-tate-modern/
I wanted to work on a kinetic sculpture that produces sound but not as an instrument, like this installation does. What I focus on is the interaction between the viewer of the sculpture and the sculpture itself, whereas this one uses the not-controlled energy of a magnet producing a random sound. Something more related to this other installation, Musical Sphere, where the grey sphere emits sound as the viewer get close and the brown one acts as a huge gong.
Musical Sphere (1985) Available at: https://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/takis-review-tate-modern-london
Their big size allows to amaze but also dominate the attention of the viewer and increase the effect given by the installation. This time, instead of put a lot of them together, the artwork is single but huge. A different decision on how surprise the spectators.
At last, this manifesto recall at my mind the workshop I did in groups with Shane Waltener in the first year and how can be important to declare a statement about the theme of the own work as self clarification but also for who approaches at the sculptures or installations produced.
When I left the exhibition, I was a little bit dissatisfied and felt dissatisfaction because I thought that at the end magnetism is not magic: it is known and we know how to work and what it causes, that means that attracts metal. What I gave for granted it was that I was watching the exhibition with the knowledge that we have today, instead that was displayed also years ago, where all those behaves were going to discovered.
That was an important lesson I learnt that day: I don't need to invent or create something new, also because I can not do it or I don't know how to do it, but what I can do is show in a different way a physical law, for example, and take advantage of it, showing amazing kinetic sculptures as results. Some physical or chemical behaves are clear to scientists but not to ordinary people. Artists can have the role of show them to every person and let them understand better and in a easy way.
Commenti