CHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE
Installation
“We learned a lot about the moon, but what we really learned was about the Earth.”
-- Jim Lovell (Apollo 8 & 13 Astronaut)
Conceptualized a project that provides viewers with three perspectives from which to view and appreciate the moon
CONCEPT
Because of limitations such as time, place and technology, human beings can only observe objects from single and fixed perspectives. Thus, our cognition is one-sided and restricted to a certain period of time.
For thousands of years, human beings on earth have only been able to see one side of the moon in limited angles of view. Therefore, their perception of the moon varied from one viewpoint to another. Space exploration satellites and lunar probe project provide people with more multidimensional and diverse perspectives to observe the moon, also to understand ourselves.
By presenting viewers earth/moon relationship in three dynamic perspectives and using visual images to show changes in the human history of people’s understanding of the moon caused by different viewpoints, this Project aims to show people’s observations of the moon in a multidimensional view and to provide a comprehensive cognition of an object in macroscopic, microscopic and the others’ view.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Device design
Firstly, I made a mechanical device to simulate the rotation of the earth and the moon. Driven by gears and electric machine, the “earth” and “moon” can rotate like they do in real world. At the same time, I added three cameras in the device. The real-time recording, which is presented on the three side-by-side displays, is able to show the earth/moon relationship in three dynamic perspectives.
Basic structure of the device and three perspectives ︎Device base design
Production process of the device base ︎