Kleine Kunstgeschichtsmaschine, 1991 / 92
Site: art institutions and other public spaces all over the world


Since 1991 this smoothly revolving slide-projection has flagged art institutions and other public spaces all over the world. Despite the constant speed of rotation, the viewer is enabled to experience the artwork in various ways, depending on his own position in the space.

Technical speaking the installation itself consists of a projector that is slowly revolving horizontally and counterclockwise. Every three minutes the projector makes one full revolution. The shortest distance from projector to wall is approximately 30 cm. On the walls opposite the projector, the image looks sharp and undistorted, but suddenly becomes extremely distorted, only to shrink to the point where only a small cluster of light is visible. Whenever the light drawing becomes blur - that is while projecting on the nearest wall - the image's speed of rotation appears to be very slow. As the distance between projector and wall increases, the projection seems to accelerate, although the actual speed remains unchanged.

The image is a quotation of Michelangelo's iconic illustration of the animating hand of God as painted in the ceiling of the Roman Sistine Chapel.

Technical data: Rotating mechanism, projector, one slide.


(videostream)