It's rare to think of weather as a type of organism, constantly morphing and transforming the entire world along with it.
A massive sculptural effort in Wisconsin is about to change that. John Grade's kinetic installation, entitled "Capacitor," tracks the ever-evolving powers of Mother Nature herself, bringing her bountiful effects inside the gallery space.
"Capacitor" takes the form of a massive, illuminated honeycomb. The installation, made of flashspun high-density polyethylene fabric, light-emitting diodes and wood, connects to weather sensors on the roof of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin, which change according to the undulating atmosphere.
Changes in wind, temperature and luminosity are funneled back through a 40x20x40-foot coil in the sculpture, creating a five--to-ten minute indoor weather experience. LED lights embedded in the honeycomb add another dimension, becoming brighter or dimmer depending on weather patterns. "I was interested in gauging something that was going on with the weather and bringing it into the gallery so that people could experience it viscerally and on a different time scale," Grade explains in the video above.
The giant organism, resembling a hybrid of a cloud and a shell, breathes in and out with nature's fluctuations. And you thought art galleries were insular!