The installation Sennheiser commissioned from Zimoun for Art Basel 2016 sits inside an old shipping container. Its ceiling, floor and walls are covered with hundreds of paper bags…
The installation Sennheiser commissioned from Zimoun for Art Basel 2016 sits inside an old shipping container. The container's ceiling, floor and walls are covered with hundreds of paper bags, and inside each bag is a small motor that moves independently of the others. Surrounded by sound-producing systems, the viewer finds themselves within a three-dimensional sound composition. Only a single viewer can enter through a hatch beneath the container; because the work stands on legs, other visitors can stand or walk underneath it. The deliberately created simplicity gives the impression of trembling, displaying organic qualities and complex behaviour. The whispering, rustling sound of thousands of paper bags creates an enveloping acoustic space. Every sound heard is produced there, in that moment. The multitude of sound-producing devices, each working independently, results in an extremely complex sound that can never be exactly reproduced. Because the motors that generate the sounds are inside the paper bags, the source of every sound is also physically visible — we come to hear what we see and see what we hear. Using simple and functional components, Zimoun builds platforms with an architectural sensitivity for sound. Seeking to explore mechanical rhythm and flow through pre-prepared systems, Zimoun's installations employ common industrial objects. In the works of this artist — who uses simple, functional materials obsessively — the tension between the patterns of Modernism and the chaotic forces of life stands at the centre. In works of emotional depth, natural phenomena triggered by Zimoun's minimalist structures give rise to acoustic hums.
Zimoun — 317 custom-built DC motors, paper bags, container, 2016. Motors, wood, paper, metal, cotton, power supplies. Dimensions: 6m x 2.4m x 3.5m. Installation photo: Art Basel, Switzerland. Commissioned by Sennheiser. Presented by Sennheiser and Dampfzentrale Bern. Project management: Florian Bürki and Ulf Kallscheidt. Studio assistants: Benedetta Caliari, Lugh O'Neil, Matteo Taramelli and Florian Buerki.