METAKINETICS
Kinetic installation with sound
The title refers to the practice in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, where guards in elegant attire repeatedly call out “Silenzio!” (Latin: silèntium, from the verb silère meaning "to remain silent") to remind visitors that Michelangelo’s masterpiece should be observed in silence, as it is the art that speaks while the visitors remain silent.
The work is designed to continuously follow activity, suggesting that complete silence does not truly exist. The essence of Silenzio lies in active suspension, manifested as a kinetic sculpture that intertwines with other elements in the space; a human skull, an old sewing table, bones, the cast of a hand from which a blooming branch grows, and sound—culminating in a monumental site-specific installation.
This installation was developed for the 32nd Biennial of Graphic Art opening event at the Švicarija Creative Centre in 2017. The Big Bowed sculpture and its movement were further expanded with choreographed dance, music, and spoken word. The current installation incorporates original elements and fragments from past performances, reimagined in a new relationship with the given space.
Credits:
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Artistic overview and text: JAŠA
Construction of the kinetic system (The Big Bowed): France Petač
Music: Bowrain