Event detail
© Fernando Casasempere, The Thought-Provoking Machine, 2008
The Economist Group and the Contemporary Art Society are pleased to present The Thought-Provoking Machine by Fernando Casasempere at the Economist Plaza.
The Thought-Provoking Machine is a sculptural installation inspired by the effects of machines and mass production on the environment and modern society. Since the early 1990's Casasempere has used sculpture to speak more widely about the environmental issues facing the world.
The work draws contrasts between organic matter and manufactured products. The manipulation of clay is central to Casasempere's art, and in using pigments obtained from residues of industrial waste he reinforces the conflict between nature and technology. The sculpture consists of two industrial conveyor belts, one transporting raw material in its original state, the other carrying the same material transformed by the artist. The belts appeal directly to the subconscious and have a strong association with industrial process.
"Nowadays, the ability we possess to transform is too powerful, so much so that we are affecting the landscape with more force than a natural disaster," says Casasempere. "The machine is out of control, devouring natural resources without stopping to consider the consequences seriously."
