Mobius

August 16, 2011 11:37 AM

Möbius: A collaborative stop motion sculpture "Twenty-one large triangles animated by Melbourne, throughout Federation Square. MÖBIUS is a sculpture that can be configured into many cyclical patterns and behave as though it is eating itself, whilst sinking into the ground." (by Ducroz)
posted by dhruva (21 comments total)

I found this beautiful and soothing. Thanks.
posted by bayani at 11:40 AM on August 16, 2011

That made me miss Melbourne and its crazy public sculptures ferociously.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:50 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

It made me a] feel giddy and b] think of spinal columns. Interesting find.
posted by Solomon at 12:14 PM on August 16, 2011

I watched this on Vimeo (I think) the other day. I didn't get what was moving the sculpture. It sounded like people interacted with it.

I also couldn't see how fast it moves. They had the footage sped up so the people blurred by, which made me think the actual sculpture wasn't moving fast at all.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:21 PM on August 16, 2011

I don't think the sculpture moves on it's own at all. Rather, it's a large collection of shapes, and someone keeps coming in during the camera's off moments to switch the shapes around. As in lots and lots of lifting between each shot.
posted by nomisxid at 12:22 PM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]

...behave as though it is eating itself, whilst sinking into the ground.

And that was the last time I smoked salvia. Seriously, very soothing indeed.
posted by Splunge at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2011

I didn't get what was moving the sculpture.

That's the "stop-motion" part of it. The artist has all these triangles and pieces of such, and comes in to move them around when the camera is off.
posted by arcticwoman at 12:47 PM on August 16, 2011

What was the last place, with all the wood and chrome?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:55 PM on August 16, 2011

Great and simple idea. Nicely executed.
posted by bonobothegreat at 1:53 PM on August 16, 2011

They'll need a legion of security guards to protect this from the drunks on Melbourne Cup day.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:52 PM on August 16, 2011

They could have actually made them Möbius triangles, which would have been way cooler.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:03 PM on August 16, 2011

see also this old Sony ad
posted by muta at 4:16 PM on August 16, 2011

On the subject of Möbius, here's my favourite ultra-nerdy limerick:

A mathematician confided
That a Möbius band is one-sided
You get quite a laugh
If you cut it in half
'Cause it stays in one piece when divided
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:24 PM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]

They've got a list of 49 people helping move the sculpture - granted, that's not all that many per installation, but it's not like you can move just one to the back... ya gotta move 'em all. Very cool.
posted by bloomicy at 4:40 PM on August 16, 2011

What was the last place, with all the wood and chrome

I think that's inside the Fed Square building (the ugly thing prominent at 0:17).
posted by pompomtom at 6:13 PM on August 16, 2011

(sorry, should say ACMI building, I think)
posted by pompomtom at 6:33 PM on August 16, 2011

Saying "the ugly thing prominent" in the context of Federation Square hardly narrows things down.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:33 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

The big ugly thing.

That's not the surface of the square itself.

Or Transport.
posted by pompomtom at 6:51 PM on August 16, 2011

I just love the music.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:20 PM on August 16, 2011

They'll need a legion of security guards to protect this from the drunks on Melbourne Cup day.

Pfff typical Sydney comment.
posted by the noob at 9:12 PM on August 16, 2011

No, really. It'll be a disaster zone of lost berets & broken beaujolais bottles.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:09 AM on August 17, 2011