Images by Federico Sutera and OrprojectThis article was originally published on June 3, 2014 but we think it still rocks!How do you imagine life energy, the soul, or even the force? Can this abstract (and feasibly ineffable) concept be translated into a physical art structure, let alone be articulated to a global audience with varying understandings of such a broad idea? Architecture and design firm Orproject is attempting to achieve such a feat with its installation Dynamorph, a tangible representation of "Urja," the force and energy which Nepalese shamans attempt to control and master through their practices.
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Dynamorph is an architectural isosurface—a three-dimensional iteration of concept values such as pressure, temperature, velocity, and density, which allows scientists to study features of a fluid flow like gas or liquid. Or, in this case, life energy. Underneath the womb-like pavilion includes a series of Nepalese shamanic artifacts that have been designed to visualize Urja, as well.Though the cover looks like a mystical cave one would encounter on a crystalline planet of another dimension, Orproject explains, "The branching and flowing geometry of Dynamorph evokes the symbolism of roots, trunks, and branches that form the three worlds of shamanism." This doesn't surprise us, as Orproject once created an architecture piece that mimicked a tree's quest for light.
The installation firm developed the structure's form using an algorithm that places the artifacts as centers of a gravitational force-field acting on the surface of the room. Thus, the pink and white geometric ceiling often dips and twists towards the art objects, not unlike tree roots reaching towards a water source.Orproject adds that "The tessellated geometry resembles mass and movements found in nature similar to the trajectory of planetary mass under the influence of stars and black holes." Whether it's actually visually indicative of such phenomena, there's undeniably something cosmic going on with Dynamorph. See some photos of the work below:
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