room installation during the day

this installation, erected in a small room at the gladstone hotel in toronto over a period of three days, was an experimental work done in an attempt to provoke a palpable sense of movement by simply changing the shape of the existing room. it focuses on the incredible and enduring forces of our everyday existence (our daily 1674kph whirl around the circumference of the earth, or our yearly 107826kph excursion around the sun). despite the immense scale of this constant state of global mobility, the effects are made mysterious by our perceptual limits and perhaps even more so by a worsening desensitization to our natural environment as we grow older. still deeply seated in all of us, however, there is something profound that resonates with the perception and affect of motion.

we are compelled to feel mobile. if we cannot be mobile, our ingenuity is spurred, and we are implored to discover a means by which we may become so. when there is no motion to be found in the immediate sense, we may revel in the implicit motion present where static form meets field, in tension, and where the mind and our imagination can take over.

this project aims to challenge the effect of this sort of implied motion on the psyche and senses, through a purely formal intervention; the original components of the room remain unchanged while only the form and proportions of the space are redefined.

breaking from the orthogonal stasis of the existing room, the altered interior space creates disequilibrium and encourages a unique re-familiarization with one’s surroundings. patrons re-acclimate and become more cognizant of the forces and characteristics of their worldly environment. the project was designed to fit precisely within the dimensions of the existing gallery room at the gladstone hotel in toronto. due to a strict mandate made by the proprietors of the venue, stating that we could not cosmetically alter the existing space, we had the added challenge of designing the installation to be completely self-supported, which would not require anchoring or tying back of any kind into the walls or ceiling of the room.

once a precise survey of the room was taken, a basic schematic of the project form was computer modeled for precision by sculpting a negative of the design from a volume of the existing space. from this schematic an assembly plan was determined by defining major parts and an order of operation for construction. precise measurements from this schematic aided in guaranteeing that each part would come together properly on site. construction is a white polyester fabric stretched and fixed in stages over a large framework of 2×4 pine and precisely cut, 3/4 inch plywood. a sheer fabric is used in front of the existing window to imply a new and alternate threshold for the window. both sides of the installation, ceiling, and bottom are assembled separately. the two side sections and ceiling are fixed together to form a cantilevering arch. the bottom section is assembled lastly and made to move in and out of position in order to gain access in behind. an array of speakers and a remotely controlled computer are setup in behind the installation. this array projects a specially prepared sound component which is played back at varying intensity throughout the course of a day.

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming view into room from gallery hall

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming shifting sunbeams

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming room installation at night time

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming view looking out the window

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming installation, video screenshot

room 206 by richard philip d'alessandro + sonja storey fleming installation, video screenshot

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