rolf sachs: in pulse!

rolf sachs distributes ‘in-pulse’ prescriptions at the exhibition image © designboom

‘in-pulse!’ is a multi-sensory installation by swiss-born artist / designer rolf sachs presented during milan design week 2011.

set over three rooms situated within studio giangaleazzo visconti, the installation focused on the primary physiological mechanisms of the human body, drawing particularly on the motion and sound of breathing, and the beating of the human heart, each space projecting its own distinct ambiance enhancing viewers’ senses.

the ‘reception’ desk image © designboom

visitors were allowed to take syringe pens and prescriptions given by rolf sachs image courtesy of rolf sachs

syringe pen image courtesy of rolf sachs

wax red chair image © designboom

as one entered the first room, they were encountered by a red wax chair, placed in conversation with a classic mechanical metronome. here, the regular, metrical clicks of the metronome have been ‘tuned’ in order that they replicate the beat of the human heart, creating sub-layers to what is normally seen as an impersonal and mechanical object. the BPM (beats per minute) of the device, can be manually adjusted to replicate the entire spectrum of a human’s pulse rate at different states: tachycardia – overexcited, pounding or exercising; normal – walking or resting; and bradycardia – meditative.

detail image © designboom

detail image courtesy of rolf sachs

‘watch this pace’ image © designboom

the BPM (beats per minute) of the metronome, can be manually adjusted to replicate the entire spectrum of a human’s pulse rate at different states: tachycardia – overexcited, pounding or exercising; normal – walking or resting; and bradycardia – meditative image courtesy of rolf sachs

‘watch this pace’ image courtesy of rolf sachs

‘a light breath’ installation image courtesy of rolf sachs

moving into the second room, one was greeted by a collection of surreal ‘chandeliers’ formed from be bird cages, each one housing a ‘breathing pillow’. what is typically a static mundane object, sachs has injected with life, giving it the ability to create the motion of a human ‘breathing’. each of these pillows are illuminated from above by a single incandescent bulb that contains a whispering window speaker concealed in its base. this echoes the faint sound of the individual breathing, accompanied by the rise and fall of the pillow. each of the pillows is numbered, indicating the type of person who’s breathing pattern is being emitted through the speaker, audible only in close proximity, encouraging viewers to engage with the chandeliers.

‘a light breath’ chandelier image © designboom

‘a light breath’ chandelier

image © designboom

‘on the pulse table’ image © designboom

within the third room, the ‘on the pulse table’ is displayed, filled with pigmented mineral oil, which results in a tranquil, red, glossy, mirror surface. ‘beating’ signals are sent to a speaker installed below the table recreating the rhythm of a human heart. the calmness of the oil surface is interrupted by the ripple effect of this ‘mechanical heartbeat’, animating the object.

‘on the pulse table’ image © designboom