Part of MFA Design Thesis Project, (In Progress)
In the old tradition of Molybdomancy, molten metals were poured into a bucket/glass of water and then the new shapes were interpreted as a form of divination technique. Inspired by this cultural phenomena, I designed an instrument in which bismuth is used to generate a set of abstract forms when poured into small drops of water.
Fused glass sheet under the bismuth block is filled with water. Using the information recorded about the seismic tremor of Stromboli from November 2022 to Mid April 2023, I created a system where the amount of tremor was corresponding to the stability of a block of bismuth in direct contact with a heat source.
The movement of the chain is mapped to the seismic tremor and it agitates the molten metal surface resulting in splashes into the water underneath. The forms generated, will further be analyzed in the form of recording the voice of the volcano. This process resembled the explosive nature of the instant interaction of lava and water and these objects carry a visual lexicon similar to materials ejected from the volcanic vents during the explosion.
Initial attempt: Material experimentation
As the metal melts, if placed on a flat horizon, it is contained within the block but when the surface is disturbed due a sudden change in the seismic tremor controlled by a stepper motor and the movement of a chain, drops of molten bismuth are thrown into a shallow pool of glass holding water. This process generates a set of abstract material formations which I imagine them as a set of non-verbal words in a mute dialogue with the volcano. The process can be interpreted as a method of recontextaulizing the tradition of Molybdomancy in a form of divination ritual and fortune telling by Stromboli.
©21st Century
Top