ARENA is a responsive environment project that was inspired by Coupé, a car produced by Fiat. Reflecting on the 'attitude' of a sports car such as Coupé, its energy, its power and 'indomitable spirit' resulted in thinking of ARENA as the portrait of a living entity.
The public can enter the installation via three gates. At each gate there is a panel on which the public can see a detail of the car: the headlight on the first, the engine on the second and a wheel on the third. The parts of the car shown on the screens are 'pulsating'.
The headlight switches on and off, the engine inflates and deflates rhythmically while the wheel slowly spins round at the pace of the seconds' hand on a clock's dial as though it were beating the time of living.
Slowly, the image of Coupé as a living body is being built, the headlight being its eye, the engine its lung and the sound of the engine associated to the boot its 'heartbeat'.
Upon approaching it, headlight/eye gate, turns up the brightness of its light to a nearly blinding extent.
Throughout the corridors between the gates and the main area, special outlets release air, as if it were breath, in keeping with the rhythm of the switching on/off of the headlight, the inflating/deflating and heartbeat of the engine and the turning of the wheel.
Once within Arena, the public meet with the car in its 'full figure'. The inside is a sort of hexagonal circus whose edges bear a screen each. A constant screaming and cheering of crowd complements the environment. Here the car is awaiting for the public, standing still on one of the screens and the feeling is one of a show-down taking place.
The public have the option to approach the car standing still in front of them. As soon people are close enough to it, though, the car moves out of one screen and randomly into another. This is repeated every time someone tries to near the car and every time the moving-out/moving-in is performed, the screams and cheering are aroused and excited to a higher pitch.
So, if this is an arena, who is chasing and who is being chased? At first the public may believe that the car is avoiding them, perhaps frightened. But eventually the feeling of empowerment gives way to one of powerlessness and the public seems like an ever failing bull trying to unsuccessfully close in on the red rag. A rag held by the car, of course, acting as the bullfighter. Conceding defeat is the only course of action left.
ARENA is a responsive environment project that was inspired by Coupé, a car produced by Fiat. Reflecting on the 'attitude' of a sports car such as Coupé, its energy, its power and 'indomitable spirit' resulted in thinking of ARENA as the portrait of a living entity.
The public can enter the installation via three gates. At each gate there is a panel on which the public can see a detail of the car: the headlight on the first, the engine on the second and a wheel on the third. The parts of the car shown on the screens are 'pulsating'.
The headlight switches on and off, the engine inflates and deflates rhythmically while the wheel slowly spins round at the pace of the seconds' hand on a clock's dial as though it were beating the time of living.
Slowly, the image of Coupé as a living body is being built, the headlight being its eye, the engine its lung and the sound of the engine associated to the boot its 'heartbeat'.
Upon approaching it, headlight/eye gate, turns up the brightness of its light to a nearly blinding extent.
Throughout the corridors between the gates and the main area, special outlets release air, as if it were breath, in keeping with the rhythm of the switching on/off of the headlight, the inflating/deflating and heartbeat of the engine and the turning of the wheel.
Once within Arena, the public meet with the car in its 'full figure'. The inside is a sort of hexagonal circus whose edges bear a screen each. A constant screaming and cheering of crowd complements the environment. Here the car is awaiting for the public, standing still on one of the screens and the feeling is one of a show-down taking place.
The public have the option to approach the car standing still in front of them. As soon people are close enough to it, though, the car moves out of one screen and randomly into another. This is repeated every time someone tries to near the car and every time the moving-out/moving-in is performed, the screams and cheering are aroused and excited to a higher pitch.
So, if this is an arena, who is chasing and who is being chased? At first the public may believe that the car is avoiding them, perhaps frightened. But eventually the feeling of empowerment gives way to one of powerlessness and the public seems like an ever failing bull trying to unsuccessfully close in on the red rag. A rag held by the car, of course, acting as the bullfighter. Conceding defeat is the only course of action left.
ARENA is a responsive environment project that was inspired by Coupé, a car produced by Fiat. Reflecting on the 'attitude' of a sports car such as Coupé, its energy, its power and 'indomitable spirit' resulted in thinking of ARENA as the portrait of a living entity.
The public can enter the installation via three gates. At each gate there is a panel on which the public can see a detail of the car: the headlight on the first, the engine on the second and a wheel on the third. The parts of the car shown on the screens are 'pulsating'.
The headlight switches on and off, the engine inflates and deflates rhythmically while the wheel slowly spins round at the pace of the seconds' hand on a clock's dial as though it were beating the time of living.
Slowly, the image of Coupé as a living body is being built, the headlight being its eye, the engine its lung and the sound of the engine associated to the boot its 'heartbeat'.
Upon approaching it, headlight/eye gate, turns up the brightness of its light to a nearly blinding extent.
Throughout the corridors between the gates and the main area, special outlets release air, as if it were breath, in keeping with the rhythm of the switching on/off of the headlight, the inflating/deflating and heartbeat of the engine and the turning of the wheel.
Once within Arena, the public meet with the car in its 'full figure'. The inside is a sort of hexagonal circus whose edges bear a screen each. A constant screaming and cheering of crowd complements the environment. Here the car is awaiting for the public, standing still on one of the screens and the feeling is one of a show-down taking place.
The public have the option to approach the car standing still in front of them. As soon people are close enough to it, though, the car moves out of one screen and randomly into another. This is repeated every time someone tries to near the car and every time the moving-out/moving-in is performed, the screams and cheering are aroused and excited to a higher pitch.
So, if this is an arena, who is chasing and who is being chased? At first the public may believe that the car is avoiding them, perhaps frightened. But eventually the feeling of empowerment gives way to one of powerlessness and the public seems like an ever failing bull trying to unsuccessfully close in on the red rag. A rag held by the car, of course, acting as the bullfighter. Conceding defeat is the only course of action left.