This project is in process- November 2024
The Birth and Death of the Universe collapses all of space into a single plane in the gallery and compresses all of time into the period between the opening and closing of the exhibition. In the beginning, a room is divided into two equal spaces, one light and one dark. In the dark room, a single point of light appears, casting a faint ray of light into the void. Soon, another point appears, and over time the number of lights increases, and a field of stars coalesces. In the light room, there is a contraption that moves back and forth and up and down the wall, pausing every so often to drill a small hole. It moves randomly and leaves a small amount of dust on the floor as it drills. The dust builds up over time.
As time passes, the star field viewable from the dark room grows more dense, allowing more and more light into the room. On the wall in the light room, the mechanism is in perpetual motion, drilling holes randomly across the plane of the wall. As the end of the exhibition draws near, the single plane of the universe begins to collapse, and the barrier between the rooms begins to disintegrate. At the close of the exhibition, there is a passage between the spaces and view of the distant star field has become a window into the other room.
Project Details
The Birth and Death of the Universe consists of a false wall dividing a gallery space, a custom CNC router mounted on the wall and software that controls the router. The work will begin at the opening reception and continue functioning over the duration of the exhibition. One side of the wall will be lit by standard gallery lighting and the other space will be unlit, the only available light will come through the small holes drilled in the wall. The holes will be drilled randomly and the time between each drilled hole will be contingent on the duration of the exhibition. The work will only function during open gallery hours.
