Fearful Symmetry

A glowing tetrahedron glides through the air, suspended above peoples heads from a 21-metre motorised rail holding the world’s largest delta robot. As the only light source in the room, the tetrahedron acts as entertainer and guide to the space, dancing with the audience, and playfully encouraging them to become an active part of the performance. Through the interplay of luminous form and motion, ambiguity in visual perception is explored and manipulated in an unfolding interactive performance between the public and a kinetic installation.

Taking its title from William Blake’s poem “The Tyger”, the installation returns visitors to a primal state of hyper-awareness through advanced computer vision, robotics and interactive choreography, the sum of which creates an intense, visceral and primal way to experience the Tate’s Tanks. The work builds on earlier kinetic pieces, Motive Colloquies (2011, Pompidou Centre Paris) and Performative Ecologies (2008, National Art Museum Beijing).

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Supported by

Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Centre for Robotics Research, KCL
Product Design Engineering, Middlesex University

Lighting Sponsor

Team
Robotics – Vahid Aminzadeh (KCL) & Alex Zivanovic (Middx Uni)
Computer Vision – Paul Ferragut & George Profenza (UCL)
Mechanical Engineering – Neil (Spike) Melton (Middx Uni)
Sound Design – Emmett Glynn & Sam Conran
Light Engineering – Lianka Papakammenou (UCL)
Photography – Simon Kennedy
Puppetry Consultant – Ronnie Le Drew
Graphic Design – Amy Lewis
Filming – Ronan Glynn
Communication – Ollie Palmer (UCL) & Diony Kypraiou (UCL)
Fabrication Assistant – Djorn Fevrier
Thanks also Ryan Mehanna, Frank Glynn, Stephen Gage, and Ranulph Glanville

Special Mention to the Motive Colloquies team, particularly Ciriaco Castro, Miriam Dall’Igna and Enrique Ramos. Fearful Symmetry builds on the earlier work we produced for the Centre Pompidou in Paris June 2011.