'Relativistic Objects' challenges contemporary behaviours and life habits related to the way we conceive and perceive the passing of time. These objects speak to anyone interested in redefining the way we approach and experience our lives, and emphasize the importance of physical interaction.
R.O. are inspired by ancient devices of the XIV century like sundials and navigation tools which performance and precision used to rely totally on natural events and cycles.
My research started with a material exploration on wax, which later became a more eclectic research. In the Middle Ages wax candles used to be used as tools to measure the passing of time. Exploring the cultural meaning of time and its understanding throughout history and geography, I investigated the concept of time in classical philosophy and general relativity - this last one defines time, not as a standard interval, but as a dynamic, malleable entity always relative to the physical matter it interacts with. A cutting age paper by Doctors Marc Howard and Karthik Shankar affirms that our minds understand time in relation to physical experiences. The overall research demonstrated how material and conceptual are in truth complementary in the definition of reality.
This project translates into a practical exercise an activity our brain is gradually repressing because excessively relying on digital devices. Missing a sensorial experience of time has affected our ability to fix memories and consequently had an impact on the definition of our self-consciousness.
Artificial light allowed us to stretch our perception of time from a sum of finite instants into an unrealistic continuum. We became immortal, projected towards great life achievements, blind to the fugacity of our existence. We abandoned our circadian rhythm for a digital pace of life.
Relativistic Objects are time visualisers. They don't exist to measure time but for us to re-learn how to be aware of its passing by experiencing it through a visual representation of physical phenomena: gravity, the movement of celestial bodies, friction, phase transitions. Each piece is symbolically linked in its working mechanism with one of the four natural elements:
Water. Once melted, the beeswax candle in the brass tube, falls in the glass container filled with water positioned right underneath. The liquid wax falling from that height will rapidly change phase when in contact with water, freezing time in a unique amorphous shape.
Air. A horizontally suspended candle, with two opposite wicks on both extremities, lighted at the same time, will start oscillating in a rhythmic motion due to the incremental loss of wax from its main body.
Earth. The magnesium mineral on the candle's wick, being a natural fire starter, prevents anyone from extinguishing the flame, and imposes the time of the candle to the user.
Fire. The candle placed in the middle of the plate is characterised by three wicks, each one corresponding to one of the three magnifying glasses of the brass structure. This object interacts with the environment through the sun. The focal point of each lens is placed in the direction of each of the candle's wicks - when the sunbeams intercept the focal points of the lenses they intensify the power of the light, increasing the temperature at that point and lighting up the wicks.
