PROPOSAL
RESPONSE to “THE EXPERIENCE OF ART”: specifically to Curator Maria de Corral’s call for the exhibition to be:
A field of activity which can fulfill the desire to exchange experiences, ideas, thoughts…even to provoke…
…labyrinthian itinerary of the Pavilion could be experienced…as a process defined in terms of the relationships between different subjects, forms, ideas, and spaces…similar to a center for experimentation…
MOLECULUX - LUMINESCENT BODIES IN HYPERSPACE @VENICE 2005
MODUS NOVUS ET INFINITO : METHODOLOGY NEW AND INFINITE
Ideas that appears as a mass of remains, fragments, …attempts…regenerate our ability to imagine different ways to inhabit the world…
RESPONSE TO THE CRITICAL DISCOURSE OF THE NEW MEDIA
Modular, mutable, scalable, reversible, disassembled and reconstructed, portable - the elements of Moleculux.
Attempt to build personal aesthetic worlds…a new reality for themselves…new context…creative act…not belong strictly to the field of art…
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST - CHNG NAI WEE
SUMMARY
To install a colored light-driven suspended and ground-based multi-sculptural
installation at the courtyard that explores the aesthetics of molecular form and
sensuous light interplay, thereby introducing the world of molecules to the
audience.
CONCEPT
MOLECULE AESTHETICS AND SCALE
The form of molecules have been depicted by conceptual graphic drawings and
computer-simulated 3-dimensional modeling and are based on the constituent
elements and the forces that hold the molecular structure together.
Moleculux is the artistic interpretation of the form of molecules zoom up to large scale.
MOLECULUX is one large installation that involves two interplayed series: LUMINESCENT BODIES IN HYPERSPACE and AUTOFLUROMOLECULUX.
Moleculux is flexible in its presentation - designed for day and night access, Moleculux can be staged as a primarily day installation, that is dominantly AUTOFLUROMOLECULUX with increased emphasis and complexity, or a primarily day, dusk, and limited night installation; the choice depends on the operational hours permitted by the Venice Biennale administration.
LIGHT AND COLOR
AUTOFLUOROMOLECULUX - THE LIGHTNESS OF BEING @DAY DOMINANT
Primarily the edges of translucent lime green panels fluoresce in the day, rendering the sculpture diaphanous and weightlessness qualities. The sculpture appears to be on the verge of floating away. The panels line against each other - constructing a tectonically efficient space-frame delineated by the florescent edges. The sculpture appears to be cast from a single mould by the illusion of similarity of material of panels and the sheer mass of panels wielded together, provoking us when we know too that it is constructed from many fragments. Depending on the direction and intensity of the sun and external directed illumination, the sculpture will cast varying shadow forms on the ground and walls.
LUMINESCENT BODIES IN HYPERSPACE @NIGHT DOMINANT
The acrylic panels are a deep purple which attain a pinkish tone when natural sunlight shines on the work. The direction and intensity of the sunlight dynamically and temporally alters the appearance of the installation. The sculptural units are lighted internally with light cables that are red, orange, yellow, and white, and these cables are suspended inside the units. These lighting from different colored lights render the work to assume a varying purplish-red hue that is rich, sensuous, and provocative. The color purple is selected because it is a color that is solemnly royal, and paradoxically punky fun. The installation will be lit internally all round the clock, and will endow the sculptural units with "life". The deep purple allows a range of tones dark to light, when lit by the light cables, and will range in color - crimson red, scarlet red, royal purple, lilac, pink. The purplish installation stands out from the blue day sky, and the dark night sky. During the transition from dawn to dusk and vice versa, the differential lighting of the sculptural units from internal and external sources, creates a dynamic change in the appearance of the work. The panels have spherical and oval-shaped elevations which form internal concave surfaces and external convex surfaces which reflect light, and form internal virtual images at the focal points which are dependent on the elevation and diameter of the domes. These elevations gift the sculptural units an organic form.
INTERPLAY OF SCULPTURES
The concave depressions and convex elevations serve as surfaces that reflect the images of the other sculptural forms and connect them. The purple panels become a reddish hue at night that contrasts maximally with the green of the Autofluoromoleculux panels by Simultaneous Color Contrast principles. The illusion is a vibrant and dynamic relationship.
SITE AND SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE COURTYARD OF THE PAVILION
The installation consists of individual sculptural units suspended by the
root-top and walls, and larger ground based units. The viewing of the
installation begins as the audience enters the courtyard of the pavilion to the
angulated recess. The ground-based unit allows a close-up view of the lighting
qualities of the violet units and the autofluorescence of the day units. Some
sculptural units are present on the exterior roof or suspended from the walls,
to engage the complete three-dimensional field at play. These suspended roof
units will be visible, more remarkably at night, to the audience at other parts
of Venice - thereby serving as a beacon to visit and to explore. The units are
molecular extensions from the platonic solids of dodecahedrons, tetrahedrons,
octahedrons, and isocahedrons and Archimedian solids.
CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL ISSUES AND
SINGAPORE CONTEXT
Technology is arguably the dominant force shaping the economic and social
environments of our world today. Biotechnology and nanotechnology are two of the
most promising fields. Moleculux is a work of the times. The theme of Moleculux
is symbolic of Singapore’s economic and scientific drive in the fields of
Biotechnology and Technology, its fabrication is indicative of Singapore’s
aspirations in Design and its interdisciplinary and sensuous nature echoes
Singapore’s coming of age in becoming a Renaissance society.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY
This is a special opportunity to show a monumental sculpture affordably at the site - for till now, there have been no artists yet from Singapore who have had shown sculptures at the Venice Biennale. This is an opportunity to present an unique work that is spectacular and sensuous at night, setting the stage for dusk and night visitations by the audience. This is an opportunity to present a monumental work that takes into appreciation the funnel shape entrance of the courtyard and the triangular space of the courtyard. With this installation, the courtyard may become a welcome congregation site at night for functions and parties.
FOR ALL AGES
This is a work that is fun enough to engage children in a playground configuration, and sophisticated enough in its construction, theme, and sensuality, to engage the most erudite of adults.
MODUS NOVUS ET INFINITO : METHODOLOGY - NEW AND INFINITE
ENHANCEMENT AND INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF FORMS
In the rudimentary Moleculux@Sculpture
Square, only one panel was fabricated and used. The increase in number of panel
forms at Moleculux@Venice results in an exponential increase in the forms
available, resulting in a more engaging installation.
MODULAR CONCEPTUALIZATION
Platonic-solids based Moleculux constructions consist of: tetrahedron unit consists of 4 panels (1 panel 1 edge), a octahedron unit 8 panels (1 panel 3 edges), a cube (hexahedron) unit 6 panels (1 panel 4 edges), a dodecahedron unit panels (1 panel 5 edges), and an isocahedron unit 20 panels (1 panel 3 edges). Each sculptural unit of the installation may consist of between 2 to 20 subunits, and will weigh the sum of the panel weights. These panels are sized so that they are interchangeable to form Archimedian Solids such as truncated tetrahedron, truncated octahedron, Buckminster Fullerene (truncated isocahedron) 32 panels comprising 12 pentagonal (5 edges) and 20 hexagonal (6 edges) panels, icosidodecahedron (pentagon and triangle), cuboctahedron (square and triangle), rhombicuboctahedron, and the rhombicosidodecahedron.
TECHNOLOGY
ACRYLIC PANELS
The acrylic panels are pre-measured, computer-drafted and fabricated from flat
sheets with customized hue, and are manufactured from a Thai factory and
transported to Singapore and to Bintan island in Indonesia, where the panels are
shaped and cut, the spherical and oval domes (of varying heights) elevated by
air injection, and holes drilled for cable-ties, which are white or green for
green panels, and black or purple for the purple panels.
LIGHT-CABLES
The industrial quality light cables that form the innards of the installation and illuminate the works are available in almost 30 different single and multi-colors and tones. The light-cables are encased in a translucent light-weight rubbery plastic encasing which are flexible to form curvilinear distortions and manipulations. The lights in a cable is static for this installation, although the lights can be run at variable velocity (a dynamic control panel unit is available to control each light-cable).
Each light-cable is manufactured to last 35,000 continuous hours, and this is
sufficient for almost 1500 continuous days of use, and is sufficient for public
installation over time. The light-cable can be replenished. The light-cable is
waterproof and is constructed for both indoor and outdoor use.
INSTALLATION AND SUSPENSION
The structural units are suspended from steel wires and are strongly and safely
secured by steel cables attached to roof and wall anchorage points. A mid-sized
acrylic panel weighs about 04.kg. A mid-sized dodecahedron subunit consists of
12 panels and will weigh 4.8 kg without the light cables within.
The ground-based unit rests on a rubber and foam base that has the same color as the ground and that renders the illusion that the work is hovering just above the ground.
The acrylic panels will be assembled to the sculptural units by contractor
workers under the supervision of the artist during the installation phase which
will take 5 days. Deinstallation takes 2 days.
Power to the sculpture is delivered by cables that stem from power-points at the
numerous external points of the courtyard. The power required is modest.
PROOF OF CONCEPT
The rudimentary Moleculux was first shown in Singapore at Sculpture Square in 2002, and has never been shown outside of Singapore. For financial considerations: only one panel was designed, fabricated, and used: a pentagon panel consisting of 5 edges which constructed strings of dodecadedrons. Yet the permutability of the form was already infinite. Moleculux@Sculpture Square showed that the concept would work, and that it was most engaging when employed in an outdoor context. Areas for improvement have been identified and will be implemented to make the work better.
An initial investment of 10,000 Singapore dollars allowed for the fabrication of sufficient panels to provide installations for fenced courtyard and porch of Sculpture Square and also the curved corridor display at the Singapore Art Museum (CAST show), the light cables, and control boxes.
MAINTENANCE
For best presentation, the external ground panels of Moleculux is be sprayed with commercially-available acrylic panel cleaning solutions and wiped quickly every month or two because the work is displayed outdoor, and subjected to the ravages of weather. Moleculux@Sculpture Square was not subjected to maintenance although it was displayed for 6 weeks.
TIMELINE
The project requires a commitment of 4 months.
FUNDING
Moleculux@Venice Project obtains NAC exhibition grant, and corporate
sponsorship, for the fabrication of the panels, the structural materials, the
light-cables, and the crew for the installation / deinstallation of the work.
MARKETING AND PUBLICITY
NAC plans and executes the marketing and publicity campaign, and supports the
production of the catalog.