“Fourth State of Water,” Centre of Contemporary Art, Toruń, Poland
A circular layer of white silica sand was placed in the center of a large dark room. An image of artist’s hands holding the moon was projected onto the sand. This image pulsated slowly, based on a selected pattern of naturally occurring frequencies of light, and environmental sounds recorded in Torun.
A pendulum moved slowly over the layer of sand, marking an uninterrupted shape on its surface, creating a calligraphic drawing on the moon. Metaphorically, the copper pendulum and the projection are a reference to Copernicus, the son of a copper merchant born in Torun. He was the first person to formulate a comprehensive helionistic cosmology, which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe.
According to the legend, the first copy of his “De revolutionibus” (“On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres”) was placed in his hands on the day he died, allowing him to bid farewell to his life’s work. Twelve hourglasses were placed on the wall representing the different length of time; the time it takes sunlight to reach the earth; the time it takes for 1000 babies to be born.