Created for the Uncommon Ground exhibition in Wisconsin, John Grade’s immense Capacitor sculpture responds to information from weather sensors located outside the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. It responds in slow, shifting movements – a great feat for a massive work of art that measures 40 x 20 x 40 feet. According to the Arts Center website, changes in temperature are signified by light levels, and changes in wind are indicated by movement. As a result, “the whole of the sculpture will appear to be very slowly breathing,” says Grade. The curved light installation also gets brighter or darker depending on the time of day.
Take a look at Capacitor at work in this cool video and see how it was made. Many of Grade’s projects are inspiring and thoughtful works in a similar vein. Capacitor encourages visitors and viewers to reflect on how everything reacts to environmental factors and how susceptible we are to subtle changes.
+ John Grade
Via Contemporist
Images via John Michael Kohler Arts Center
