[OK. Some few internet problems here in the bottom corner of Africa, so I’m getting this out now in case everything falls apart later.]
In Greek mythology, Tethys is a Titaness, the wife of Oceanus and mother of the river gods and Oceanids.
Die Mimik von Tethys is piece of artwork in which a suspended buoy in Turin – at least several miles from the Bay of Biscay – mimics the movement of an real, identical buoy in the Bay of Biscay:
Continuously transmitting motion data via satellite to its relocated double, the information guides eight electric motors and cable winches, which precisely reproduce the buoy’s movement in the ocean.
And it is quite interesting, thought-provoking and maybe a little disconcerting to watch a buoy suspended in an old car factory (because we’ve all watched this video, right?) moving up and down as invisible, distant waves drag it around.
Aside from the technology involved, and the idea of the art…
You inevitably understand the ocean as a character—you feel the whim of the wild water that can potentially hold your life in your hands. Most people lack such existential experiences with the sea. Buoys function as outposts in the sea. They are like space probes—external ambassadors that represent our human existence without our actual presence.
Yes. Space probes and external ambassadors. Just what I was thinking.
…it’s also quite interesting to see just how big some of the waves are. Waves of 6m high are a regular occurrence in the notorious Bay of Biscay, and visualising that as a couple of storeys in the art gallery is quite sobering and unsettling.
Some of JvB’s other projects are also rather interesting. he really doesn’t hold back…
Have a look here and here for examples.
