Carsten Nicolai "moiré"
The Pace Gallery (534 W 25th St)
This event has ended.
Carsten Nicolai has been working at the intersection of art and science since the early 1990s, creating complex, interdisciplinary works which push the boundaries of human perception. This show explores the moiré effect in motion- and light-activated large-scale installations, sculptural works, and drawings. The exhibition precedes the release of the artist’s new book, "moiré index," to be published by gestalten this August. "moiré index," a visualization of data based upon years of research, is a fundamental and integral part of the show. The word “moiré” refers to visual interference patterns, which are created when two or more layers of simple dot, line, or grid structures overlap, producing an additional pattern on top of the original layers. Often an unwanted side-effect in printing processes, Nicolai uses the moiré effect to emphasize its potential on both a scientific and artistic level. As with many of Nicolai’s works, moiré glass engages in an interactive creative process with the viewer; as he or she rotates the five silk-screened glass plates, attached vertically to a central column, the overlapping patterns produce a variety of optical illusions. With moiré rota, the artist creates light moirés using LED lights suspended from cable strings and attached to two rotating columns. A third installation, moire schatten, will transform a wall into a convex membrane box which fills and empties with air, spinning black satin strings and producing moiré patterns where the strings and the shadows that they cast overlap. Other works on view in this exhibition include moiré tape, in which the moiré effect is produced by two radial gratings of magnetic tape, superimposed onto each other on the gallery wall, and moiré film, where moving black-and-white line and dot patterns will create changing visual impressions while emitting sounds composed from an audio analysis of the moiré phenomena. The exhibition will also feature drawings of moiré patterns created by hand.
Media
Schedule
from May 21, 2010 to June 25, 2010
Opening Reception on 2010-05-20 from 18:00 to 20:00
The Artist will be in Attendance.