 "The walls between art and engineering exist
only in our minds."-Theo Jansen
If art is the servant of the soul, then engineering is of the body; where they meet is not
in heart but in the mind- a most marvelous place, where brainstorms form that are strong
enough to shatter the windows and break the walls between the two. Can you feel the
powerful wind caressing your body? It is the wind created by those brainstorms. It is the
wind that takes over the coolhunting aspect of technological wonders. It is, again, the
wind that inspires the innovations I'll present to you in this week's column.
Imagine a fascinating beach with the sparkling sun shining above and hot sand under your
fancy beach towel. There is a breeze that envelopes your body. As you flick through the
pages of the bestseller you've recently purchased, something from out of the corner of
your eye grabs your attention. It opens its arms wide, lowers its head and continues to
slowly move across the sand. You panic. Your eyes search for help. That huge abnormality
is coming right your way. Just calm down. What you are seeing is a 'Strandbeest', designed
by Theo Jansen. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the Da Vinci of the new
millennium.
Theo Jansen is a Dutch kinetic sculptor who destroys the boundary between art and
engineering in the design of his huge 'beach beasts.' They use nothing but the force of
the wind and the wet sand in order to walk. “Life” is simulated by using a combination
of mathematics; engineering; art and design; and an understanding of biology. Jansen uses
no engines or sensors to achieve this; only flexible plastic tubes and adhesive tapes.
The wind is not only the inspiration behind his designs, but the very life blood.  These
creations are so advanced that they can “plan” their own survival: some of them stop
moving to create shelter if the wind is too strong, while others turn back up the beach if
they contact water. Jansen's insect like structures can theoretically sustain themselves
forever -or at least as long as the wind exists. BMW has recently decided to sponsor his
work, so you might have seen the cool advertisement where Theo Jansen says: "The
walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds." Let the Cyber TV be your
guide: YouTube.
Running away from the beach and towards to the city, we come across the work of Christoph
Ernst; another artist who is inspired by the wind. He has installed multicolored LEDs into
wind turbine blades. As they spin at the speed of 220 km per hour, the LEDs are
transformed into kinetic strips of color. This innovative art project - called
"Windmove"- can currently be seen in Berlin until December 31. It should prove
to be a feast for the eyes of those who'll get to experience this magnificent light show.
Visit Christoph Ernst at: windmove.de
It may ruin your hair or blow your skirt away; but the wind also serves the brain,
creating storms that inspire artists to develop innovative projects, if not other forms of
“life,” like those of Jansen's. Considering the fact that Bilkent gets quite windy, I
wonder what your creation will be?
Yišit Turhan (EE/IV)
yt_coolhunter@yahoo.com
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