Josiah McElheny

A Space for an Island Universe

American artist Josiah McElheny (Boston, Massachusetts, 1966) explores the convergence of science, art and design through a keen interest in scientific literature and knowledge of glass-blowing techniques. In the Retiro Park’s Palacio de Cristal, McElheny presents an installation made up of five sculptural elements in chromed aluminium and blown glass. The structures form spheres representing the cluster of galaxies in the universe and lights symbolising quasars, the brightest known objects. The work comes about from current theories on the origin of the universe which replace the idea of the Bing Bang and which work as a model for a series of possible universes, the variants of which depend on the amount of energy and matter that exist at the time of their emergence. The installation is accompanied by the screening of the film Island Universe, 2005–2008, on the same theme, in the Sabatini Building.

Authors

Lynne Cooke, Josiah McElheny, David Weinberg, Eric de Bruyn, Paul Schütze, Molly Nesbit, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Ryckman

Year:
2009
Language:
English
Type:
Exhibition Catalogue
Binding:
Hardcover
Format:
Printed
Dimensions:
23,5 x 31 cm
Pages:
136
ISBN:
978-84-8026-388-7
Edited by:
Museo Reina Sofía and Turner
Editorial line:
Exhibitions

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