+ MACM
Over the past few decades, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has earned a reputation for large-scale, participatory installations that frequently incorporate technology, light and the architecture of public spaces. These “anti-monuments,” which are often displayed in outdoor spaces to optimize their impact and accessibility.
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Tape Recorders . 2011
Rows of motorised measuring tapes record the amount of time that visitors stay in the installation. As a computerised tracking system detects the presence of a person, the closest measuring tape starts to project upwards. When the tape reaches around 3 meters high it crashes and recoils back. Each hour, the system prints the total number of minutes spent by the sum of all visitors.
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Pulse Spiral . 2008
“Pulse Spiral” is a three-dimensional spiral paraboloid made up of 400 lightbulbs arranged according to Fermat’s equations, which records and responds to the heart rate of participants who hold a sensor underneath. Commissioned for the opening of the Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow in the constructivist Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage, the piece is inspired by engineer Vladimir Shukov who worked with Melnikov on this emblematic building from 1926-28.
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Voice Tunnel . 2013
“Voice Tunnel” is a large-scale interactive installation designed to transform the Park Avenue Tunnel during the “Summer Streets” Annual Celebration in New York City. The tunnel goes from 33rd to 40th streets and is open for pedestrians for the first time in its almost 200 year history. The piece consists of 300 powerful theatrical spotlights that produce columns of light along the walls and cladding of the tunnel. All fixtures are floormounted right beside the walls, seven feet from each other, shining past the spring line, fading along the internal curved surface of the tunnel, just reaching its crown.
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