The Abysses of the Scorching Sun [2018]
In the kinetic light installation ‘The Abysses of the Scorching Sun’ Nicky Assmann refers to the ideas that consider the earth and the sun as ever-turning perpetuum mobiles that will still be rotating long after we are gone. It examines the passage of time, the finite and the infinite, global warming and the changing climate of our planet, how we humans are part of this earthly existence, and how accidental and ephemeral our existence is when compared to the cosmos.
In this creation the artist was inspired by the early work of light art pioneer Thomas Wilfred.
The work came about after reading texts by James Lovelock, Timothy Morton and Donna J. Haraway and joining the Dark Ecology journeys, a three-year art and research project in the Arctic regions of Norway and Russia organised by Sonic Acts and derived from the Dark Ecology concept introduced by Timothy Morton.
Next to making several research journey and artist-in-residencies through different landscapes. Visiting both arid deserts and the melting ice of the sub-arctic region and dealing with these feelings of anxiety of the current climate change and ecological apocalypse we're in.
The installation is a light machine which is pointed towards the sun and follows its trajectory by using a sun tracer. Its telescope traces the path of light and moves slowly, almost invisibly, throughout the day. The machine is based on the concept of a sun dial, but instead of indicating time, it projects light back to the sun. The light travels through several reflective and diffractive elements before projecting its rays onto the white walls of the space. The light projection is immersed in, what Assmann refers to as hypercolours, which can be found in nature, brought forward by the light of the sun and are characteristic for her work. The visuals move throughout the space as the installation follows the sun and are accompanied by a score composed of perpetual drones.
The different cycles lead to an ever changing prismatic coloured visual output, that, together with the moving wheels and cones, is reminiscent of the eye of a storm. It is the calm before the havoc, the moment prior to reaching a state of entropy.
Credits
Research & concept: Nicky Assmann
Sound composition: Joris Strijbos
Realisation: Nicky Assmann, Jeroen Molenaar, Spectro Productions, Joris Strijbos, Daan Johan, Dieter Vandoren, Christian Friedrich, Joep de Jong, Joris Rockx
Co-production: Werktank / With support of The Creative Industries Fund NL & The Flemish Government.