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Pocket Galaxy

SPACE ARTIFACT

Artifact Description

The artifact is a modified gyroscope with no utility - it is a toy that begs experimentation. The artifact measures 300mm x 300mm x 25mm when flat packed (and 300mm x 300mm x 270mm at its maximum dimension). It is comprised of 10 concentric rings (the largest of which is 300mm in diameter) that get progressively smaller by 15mm for each consecutive ring. The toy allows for experimentation and discovery surrounding the mechanics of rotation. Ideally, with more time, the artifact would act as an ambient and ephemeral light source. The artifact is a reaction to the independent behavior of objects in space. It is a cascading and hierarchical chain of motion- dependent-upon motion. The artifact utilizes those physical properties that still apply in space (angular momentum, inertia, kinetic energy etc.) Properties which might also be applied in a manner that can instigate similar mechanics to those produced by gravity's mathematical rigor.

Abstract

Zero-gravity is romanticized as a condition that creates possibilities, but there is something odd about life without gravity. 

There is no other force so ubiquitous or consistent as that of gravity on Earth. It is a constant condition producing non-linear results. Without gravity we lose an intangible thread of connection. Gravity allows us to predict how two seemingly unrelated things might exist in relation to one another. Gravity creates curves, arcs, parabolas, and waves. It is responsible for complex patterns that seem to change in unpredictable ways - it is the invisible numerical medium. Despite this, it is unflinchingly rigid. It is dependable and comforting. It is a pleasant reminder of self. Without gravity, we may gain some interesting potentials, but ultimately, we lose a powerful and beautiful phenomenological bond.




Procedures

The artifact is a reaction to the independent behavior of objects in space. It is a cascading and hierarchical chain of motion-dependent-upon motion. The artifact utilizes those physical properties that still apply in space (angular momentum, inertia, kinetic energy etc.) Properties which might also be applied in a manner that can instigate similar mechanics to those produced by gravity's mathematical rigor. 

Each ring is counterbalanced directly opposite to its pivot point with a small weight to induce rotation (when in an environment with gravity). However, when the artifact is not subjected to typical gravitational forces it will be far more stable (unless motion is induced by an outside force). The micro gravity environment might allow for the artifact to rotate in a less predictable way.




Materials

(8) Rings: Aluminum or Stainless Steel or PLA
(16) 608RS Skateboard Bearings - 22mm (outer)
(20) Split Shot Fishing Weights - 7g
Project by 

Grant Dokken

2023

The Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) at Yale is an interdisciplinary art and technology center. CCAM is part of the cultural landscape at Yale that includes other major institutions such as the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. CCAM is also home to an interdisciplinary Curriculum in Residence, sponsoring classes from art and architecture to public health. A staging ground for faculty and students to experiment, CCAM starts with creativity to advance projects and research, forming an archipelago of interdisciplinary labs within an art-forward setting.