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Competition & Research

Archstoyanie

Location:

Kaluga Region, Russia

Year:

2013

Competition:

Archstoyanie Festival

Status:

Concept

The object is along the fringes of the site where a delineated interaction between high-reaching trees and lower, smaller trees exist. Two of the four foundations for the object's main anchor are located within the depths of the denser cluster of trees- within the forest. The other two are quasi-exposed, sprouting like old tree trunks among the younger trees. Casted and built on site- these are the foundations.


The base along with the 2.4m high earth mound are the only elements that are built on-site. The four posts, that vary in height (31.89m-26.60m-26.10m-20.85m) are built off-site, transported and installed. These are the pillars.


Somewhere, simultaneously, during the construction of the posts, the mound and the foundations-the mirror, an agglomeration of unexpected materials, is crafted-proving for a very efficient course of assembly. At its core is a 150mm x 150mm welded wire mesh with a diameter of 20m that is sandwiched by four angle bars that traverses its cross section and two angle bars that radiated from the object's center to halfway of its circumference. Its perimeter is braced with two adjoining angle bars that is pierced by two 20mm stranded wire cable that intersect each other and pierces out on to the other side.


Then an army of used and new styrofoam boxes are stacked and glued to each other creating an almost half sphere. Its highest point is 2.4m. The assembly is mirrored on the other side of the mesh resulting in a saucer like object. After which an amalgam of old and new-seamed jute sacks are employed to hold the boxes together. The jute sacks are then fastened to the inner part of the circumferential angle bar.


After holding the boxes tightly the upper portion of the object is covered with a seemingly second-hand weather proof tarpaulin. The lower part is covered in a highly reflective metalized mylar skin a smooth surface that is then coated with a reflective paint to augment its reflectivity. This is the mirror.


The site, which now have four erected pillars is now ready to welcome its new object- a colossal lightweight, reflective object. This object would be erected employing the pulley mechanism mounted on the pillars. It is now complete. This is Sousveillance: Under Big Brother's Skirt.

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