Page 45 - Studio International - October 1970

above fall five drops, the rhythm of which can it is the continual composition and decompo- Quadricone or Motetracone, is a bifrontal, kinetic
be regulated, so that on the calm surface of sition of the hour and programmed instrument giving visual
the water optical effects of concentric circles it is the mechanical growth of a form information by means of quantitative chro-
induced by the falling drops are continually it is the mechanical diminution of a form matic variations.
formed and dissolved. These circles are it is the simultaneous growth and diminution Each of the four cones occupying the cubic
emphasized by a projector that throws their of two forms space of the Tetracone is divided into two equal
shadows on to the sand beneath. Three differ- it is an unstable form in changeable colours coloured zones in two complementary colours :
ent concepts for three different situations. it is time divided into millimetres red and green. These colours have been chosen
`They are neither paintings nor colour photos' it is time divided into seconds since, being complementary, they create an
— in 1950 Munari started experimenting with it is space-time divided by colours optical vibration on the border line between
the possibilities of direct projection of plastics them, and this vibration helps to dematerialize
for aesthetic ends. Using a normal projector the image. Each separate cone contains a
and placing fragments of various opaque and motor, and the four motors rotate the cones
transparent materials between the glass, he very slowly, each cone at a different speed.
gave a first performance in the B24 studio in The overall effect of the four cones creates a
Milan. In about 1954 he began to use polar- field of events in which quantitative chro-
ized light, obtaining lenses built up of colour- matic changes take place.
less plastics, which, through the use of When the Tetracone was first exhibited in 1965
polarized light, gave an effect of fixed colour Pietro Grossi composed an environmental
compositions. This developed with the in- sonorization with the same programmatic
corporation of a motor to achieve variable pattern, entitled Tetraphone, to be played
compositions, and was then used for films. In during the exhibition. It was realized by
1963 the first of these, lasting 20 minutes, was electronic means with four sections of 'white
realized with Piccardo, and with electronic noise'. The timing of the four sonorous
music by Berio (see Munari's text). This was sections was the same as that of the four
the only Italian experimental film presented motors : 60", 72", 90", 108". The four sections
at the 1964 Knokke festival. The aim of these began together and each was repeated to the
experiments is the penetration of the chro- end of its programmed time, creating partial
matic laws of nature, avoiding the interven- sonorous coincidences every 3', 3'36", 7'12",
tion of individual taste. 9', 12', 14'24", 15', and a total coincidence
Munari's search for new techniques of visual every 18'.
communication and the non-passive partici- [Produced as a multiple by Danese in 1965]
pation of a wider public led to his first
experiments with Rank Xerox machines in MULTIPLES
1964. One of these was installed in his Tokyo Travelling Sculpture
exhibition, and again in this year's Venice This was evolved in 1958 to serve an aesthetic
Biennale, as part of a project for a reformed purpose. Into a suitcase there usually go
biennale, the idea being that everyone, given objects of a functional nature: the necessary
a basic explanation of the machine's possi- essentials for personal hygiene, a change of
bilities, can produce and edit his own work. clothes, some link with the world of our per-
This basically is the crux of his activity, and of sonal affections, photos of loved ones, etc.
his projects for the future: the breaking down Some people provide for the aesthetic effect of
of barriers not only between disciplines, but their clothes. Very few think of packing some-
also between public and 'artist'. thing that preserves a link with their own
For forty years Munari has been quietly cultural world. Admittedly, many don't have
chuckling at the sanctity of the artist. He a cultural world, others get annoyed at the
himself, though, for example, one of the first it is space-time recomposed by colours thought of it, and some think it exists on
to realize and exploit the compositional and it is the construction and destruction of every another planet.
kinetic powers of the mobile, has aalwys been split second Hotel rooms are anonymous; they have to be
comfortably straddled over a wide variety of it is a changeable point of reference in space- to absorb people of every sort. In these rooms
activities, taking as much delight in the time when the moment comes to turn out the
design of a pea pod as in the realization of a it is space-time that takes shape every moment light you never know where to rest your eyes.
piece of sculpture. The following is an illustra- it is a continually varied moment I look at the window, John looks at St John.
tion of his approach to some of these various it is the colour of split seconds An object that is light, convenient and port-
activities. q it is a continual present able, serving a purely aesthetic purpose, since
CAROLINE TISDALL it is an eclipse machine we've dealt with the practical one, would pro-
it is optical-sonorous company vide this link. Since no man is complete unless
it is the relax hour he keeps up all aspects of his being, substance
KINETIC MULTIPLES it is Ora X as well as appearance, the travelling sculpture
Ora X [Prototype 1945; remade as a multiple for became an almost vital necessity. Made of
but what is this Ora X? Danese, Milan, 1963] folded cardboard on the principle of the
it is a continual variation of four semi-discs Tetracone Japanese paper toy, it first appeared as an
it is a continual variation of four colours `Only now can we conceive the universe as an edition of 100, then of 1000, and is now to be
it is the varied combination of eight ? or nine ? indivisible unity formed of pure energy in given away with new suit-cases. It comes
colours constant and mutual transformation' — folded in an envelope. To open the sculpture
it is the hour in which a colour is born to die Alexander Dorner you take hold of the left side with the left
after half an hour The Tetracone, otherwise known as Kineconus or hand, and the right with the right hand (the