whirring panels animate pinaffo & pluvinage's cardboard installation, powered solely by sand 

Pinaffo & Pluvinage fuses art, architecture, and mechanics 

Vibrant panels whizz and whir in Pinaffo & Pluvinage’s En Cascade structure. The mixed media installation intertwines art, architecture, and mechanics, fashioned from cardboard and powered solely by sand, seemingly rudimentary yet rivalling the intricacy of electronic machines. At first glance, the motions suggest a presence of high-tech motors, however, upon closer reflection, they reveal the true source of its animation – cascading sands that flow through each mechanism and bring the apparatus to life. Interactive and primitive, it is operated by the audience who recharges its sand reservoirs without the need for electricity, with each compartment holding an autonomy of approximately ten minutes.

all images courtesy of Pinaffo & Pluvinage

en cascade employs rudimentary mechanisms

En Cascade utilizes sand not merely for propulsion but as a means for programming. The mechanisms are brimming with tricks crafted to orchestrate movements as sophisticated as those produced by programmed motors — synchronization, repetitions, back-and-forths, precise stops, and more, whether controlled or random. With the installation, French design studio Pinaffo & Pluvinage continues its pursuit of juxtaposing complexity and simplicity, where sophisticated effects emerge from the most low-tech of materials: cardboard and sand. ‘Behind a simple and almost childlike result lies a painstaking effort to achieve the level of precision necessary for the functioning of the artwork,’ notes the design team. Having made its debut at the Anse de Paulilles, utilizing sand sourced directly from the beach, En Cascade now seeks a new exhibition venue. The project was brought to life with the support of Mondes Nouveaux, a program under the French Ministry of Culture, with assistance from the Coastal Conservatory.

Pinaffo & Pluvinage fuses art, architecture, and mechanics

En Cascade is fashioned from cardboard and powered solely by sand

its seemingly rudimentary mechanisms rival the intricacy of electronic machines

it is operated by the audience who recharges its sand reservoirs without the need for electricity

each compartment holds an autonomy of approximately ten minutes

Pinaffo & Pluvinage continues its pursuit of juxtaposing complexity and simplicity

the motions whir in synchronization, repetitions, back-and-forths, precise stops, and more

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project info:

name: En Cascade, Mécanique Sablonneuse 

designer: Pinaffo & Pluvinage