TOMMI GRÖNLUND E PETTERI NISUNEN
Orbita

“Orbita” installation consists of a stainless steel ball 40 cm of diameter slowly moving around circular stainless steel tracks 8 m of diameter. In the centre point of the tracks there is a single light bulb, the only light in the space, which casts a shadow of the moving ball to the surrounding walls. The sound of the rolling ball is picked up with contact microphones attached to the tracks. Then it is amplified and played back real time through speakers in the corners of the exhibition space.

The constant movement of the ball is possible because of gravitational pull and minimal friction. There are three servo motors along the tracks on equal distance of each other pulling the tracks closer together just when the ball is passing by. This lifts the ball a little and it starts to run “downhill” where the tracks are wider from each other, gathering more speed. This extra speed is enough to keep the ball rolling until the next servo motor.

Curated by Daniela Cascella
Catalogue by Gli Ori.

TOMMI GRÖNLUND / PETTERI NISUNEN, Orbita
Galleria nicola fornello / Antonella Nicola e Enrico Fornello, Prato.
From 1 June to 23 July, 2005