Platinum Fine Arts and Art Installation Design · 2020
Superegg Sculpture Installation
- A' Design Award 2020 Platinum Winner in Fine Arts and Art Installation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Jaco Roeloffs
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 1,224,705
- Verification code 28E5990344 · Verify this award
About Superegg Sculpture Installation
Superegg represents the rapid multiplying of single use coffee capsules, which symbolises human convenience and its impact on the environment. Appearing levitated above ground, the textured geometric superegg shape, as documented by mathematician Gabriel Lame, is dotted with random discarded coffee capsules arranged into perfect lines. The visceral experience engages the viewer from all angles and distances. Over 3000 capsules were collected via a call to action on social media and the local community. Superegg allows the viewer to peruse waste and encourages new recycling habits.
Positioned within the contemporary discourse surrounding site-specific installation and the mathematical sublime, this sculptural work by Jaco Roeloffs engages with a rich lineage of geometric abstraction and chromatic investigation that extends from Constructivist principles through the optical experiments of the mid-twentieth century to present-day environmental art practices. The superegg form, derived from the mathematical studies of the Danish polymath Piet Hein, provides a foundation of intellectual rigor upon which the artist constructs an exuberant celebration of color and light. The hundreds of spherical elements arrayed across the meridional ribs suggest both cosmic orderliness, perhaps evoking atomic structures or celestial arrangements, and the joyful abundance of natural phenomena such as coral formations or seed pods. The installation's placement upon the littoral zone, that threshold space between land and sea, seems to invite contemplation of boundaries and transitions, the permeable membrane of the sculpture echoing the fluid exchange between elements in the coastal environment. Technical accomplishment manifests in the precise engineering required to achieve structural integrity while maintaining visual lightness, the metallic framework supporting its chromatic cargo with apparent effortlessness. The randomized yet harmonious color distribution rewards extended viewing, the eye discovering new relationships and patterns with each examination. One might consider how this work transforms the beach from mere landscape into activated gallery space, democratizing the art encounter while honoring the site's inherent beauty. The sculpture appears to function simultaneously as beacon, shelter, and jewel, its meaning shifting with the viewer's position and the changing light conditions throughout the day.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Modern consumer product packaging can be irresponsible to nature and the human connection with it. This sculpture reveals the beauty and harmonious co-existence of humans and nature, made possible by thought-provoking art. Combining the core elements of art, the levitated Superegg creates a visceral experience that engages the viewer from all angles and distances. The ability to experience feelings and change perspectives through art, unites people, which is reflected in the sculpture image.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions, mm: 2038 high x 1463 diameter. Weight: 350kg. The bulk of the weight is concentrated in the base and centre core that gives stability. The art installation consists of 4 main parts (base, large and small wheels, aluminium strips), which facilitates the transportation of the structure and its assembling at exhibitions. Installation packaging and storage is a custom built crate with 4 panels that protects against bumps and scratches.
- Tags
- Superegg, installation, art-installation, sculpture, recycling, consumer products, coffee, life, feelings, earth
- Production Technology
- The support structure is made of aluminium, steel and plywood. The cylindrical core has 9 plywood 'wheels' cut and spaced precisely to form an exact superegg. The exterior is formed with 64 aluminium strips bent and rolled to match a 'Lame curve'. LED strips illuminate the sculpture from inside out. 3000 aluminium coffee capsules were collected via a call to action on social media and the local community. Capsules were cleaned and dents removed, then spaced accurately and glued on the surface.
- Design Challenge
- Creating and upscaling a superegg as documented in mathematics theory by French mathematician Gabriel Lame in the 19th century was a challenge. We first modelled the shape in 3D CAD space and converted it to 2D in order to use flat materials like plywood and aluminium sheet. Nine CNC cut plywood 'wheels' dictate the various horizontal extremities, are spread vertically along critically precise points on the core shaft ensuring the shape is true to its design parameters.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2019 in Brisbane, and finished and exhibited in September 2019 at SWELL Sculpture Festival on The Gold Coast, Australia.
- Operation Flow
- The sculpture serves as a visual, textured art object, with the intention of being viewed up close, or from a greater distance. Invited into serene space created by the form, line and texture, there are no defined viewing angles, encouraging the viewer to make their own discoveries. Appearing levitated above ground, the installation represents the contradiction of disorganised consumer product packaging rearranged in perfectly spaced lines, allowing for the beauty and randomness to be revealed.
- Research
- Design research and development was carried out according to the author's observation of consumer behaviour and studies on the resultant impact of waste on our environment. Crowd-sourcing the main material for the sculpture installation (used coffee capsules) helped create an intriguing story of community involvement and care for the environment. The colours, shape and texture, interacting with each other in the context of the sculpture form, assisted in realising the vision of the artist.
- Inspiration
- The sculpture represents the rapid multiplying of single use coffee capsules, which symbolises human convenience and its impact on our environment. At the heart of the object is the geometric 'superegg' shape, combined with the capsules, it presents the contributions of hundreds of coffee consumers. The capsules are arranged into a new pattern, from random to perfectly spaced lines. This gives a new perspective and the opportunity to peruse our waste and lead us to rethink our recycling habits.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Lexi Spooner, Variations, 2019
Optional Image #1: Photographer Lexi Spooner, 2019
Optional Image #2: Photographer Lexi Spooner, 2019
Optional Image #3: Photographer Lexi Spooner, 2019
Optional Image #4: Photographer Lee Burrows, 2019
Colors of Superegg Sculpture Installation
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