rockProsthesis (metal, muscles, code);
The “Rock Prosthesis: Metal, Muscles and Code” installation is a collaboration between Anika Gardner and Stelarc installed at the outback Australian sculpture exhibition the Palmer Biennial. It combines their interests in pneumatics, coding, choreography and sculpture. A steel exoskeleton around a rock formation, attached to 12 x 2.5m rubber muscles is pneumatically actuated alive by a programmed sequence of inflation and contraction, exhaustion and extension. In combination with the steel’s muscular choreography is the acoustics - the air compressor intakes and exhales and solenoid clicks augmenting the wind.
The robotic work integrates itself into the Australian landscape through the ‘burnt’ corten steel metal bands that comprise the draping exoskeleton. The bands were heat-treated with oxy-acetelyne and 40 degree heatwaves to melt themselves over the rock formation. The rusted materiality evokes the metal abandonment of the Australian outback (burnt cars, fuel tans etc.) as if the rock has collaborated with the human by-products to augment a prosthetic shell.
Combing this with the software system animating the rock formation, and the anatomical with rubber musculature, this object/ being exists in a world where the delineations of the industrial/ technological/ natural are obfuscated into a symbiosis.
The work was supported by Helpmann Elevate Mentorship, Palmer Sculpture Biennial and ArtSA
Acknowledgments: Festo - Trevin Kuppasami, Luke Giplin and Mark Harrison; Wayne Mitchell; Fab Studios - Martin and Muzz McMurray; Ben Merrylees; Greg Johns.
Photo Credit: Paige Glancey + Stelarc + Anika Gardner
