Tomás Saraceno, Part Two
Saraceno’s work continues to enthrall me. This installation, titled Galaxies forming along filaments, like droplets along the strands of a spider’s web, in particular, compares the clustering of galaxies in the universe to the intricate parts of a spider’s web. Saraceno illustrates here the groups of stars and other cosmic matter, which appear to be collected along strands like water droplets caught in a web.
The installation, composed primarily of bungee rope, encompasses and overpowers interior spaces and places the viewer as a navigational figure that weaves through the tangled branches of this giant web. The viewer’s interaction with the installation is at first off putting; the viewer perhaps humbled by the galactic presence that engulfs the room, but the work demands to be seen from a close distance. It is from up-close that the viewer is given the rare opportunity to witness the intricacies of the universe.
I see the web not just as an illustration of galaxy clusters, but also as a model of contemporary technology and the sharing of information over the Internet. Each strand is a different piece of information sent from one computer to another. In fact, this makes me think of the Internet as a vast, ever-expanding web we experience on a daily basis; it is perhaps a universe contained within our computer screens.
For more information about Saraceno and his other projects, visit his website here.
