Diploma thesis documents the development of an art installation from the theoretical foundations, reflections on the perception of glass, light and space, through the research of contemplative spaces, to the concept and realisation of the installation. The result is an installation in the industrial architecture of Zlín, which uses the system of geometric shapes to create spaces intended for observation and contemplation.
It is a system of several parts, each of which works with different perceptions, so as to create a complex impression of the installation, which is anchored in the architecture, but is not limited by space. The installation creates focus point, where an acoustically defined space for the performation of sound experiments with glass is.
The art installation designed for the building of the Svit industrial complex in Zlín is a system of several buildings. This system is anchored in the space of an industrial building, but it is not limited by it. In other words, the form of installation imaginarily intersects this typical Zlín architecture. The individual segments of the installation are basic geometric shapes, which with their composition also create intuitive shapes. In the installation, I work with the scale of the objects in relation to the building they intersect. Like most of Zlín’s architecture, this building is built on the basis of the standard Zlín module 6.15 x 6.15 m. It could therefore be said that a person who somehow experiences Zlín and its architecture will create a spatial scale within corresponding to a modulus of 6.15 x 6.15 m. Human perception can thus be influenced by this spatial raster.
The system also includes a kind of lens, specifically a light concentrator, which is composed of mirror-polished sheet metal ribs. Together with the conical composition of the ring, it creates an imaginary focus of the installation. In this focus there are fragments of a parabolic antenna, which are situated so that the waves reflect each other. I used it to illustrate the acoustics of the glass drums that are part of the installation. The glass drums I developed are very sensitive and create an ambient sound with the rhythms typical of hand-played drums.
The individual segments of the installation are supposed to act on different sensations and together they are supposed to create a contemplative space intended for pausing, observing and contemplating. I am also based on the impulses I am experiencing at the moment, when I feel a kind of fragmentation of human perception and concentration. I think it is caused by a rapidly evolving world that is still searching for its values.
In this installation, I wanted through minimalist forms of circles to study spatial relationships. Their placement in space began my thinking on conical compositions as a metaphor for concentration, concentration and observation. Because observation is a kind of concentration, I put these topics into context. This visualization of my thoughts and philosophies about concentration and observation has become a pivotal point in my work. The timeless view, questions about the meaning of creation and the search for context have led me to the fact that my work is based on basic geometric shapes and does not develop aesthetics too much.
“Geometry is a spatial expression of philosophy.”
Michal Kohout