Loops
International artist SpY unveils “Loops”, a large-scale kinetic installation commissioned for the atrium of the largest hospital in Switzerland.
“Loops” is an innovative artwork that will change the paradigm for art in hospital spaces, while marking a milestone in the evolution of kinetic art. The piece situates SpY at the forefront of tech-based art, and pushes forward the capacity of art to materialise unique experiences in front of the eyes of the viewer.
AN EXCITING CHALLENGE
How can art have a positive effect on patients, and help nurture them emotionally
within a hospital? Fulfilling these needs has been the goal of this highly-specialised project, spanning over two years. The result is “Loops”, the new project by international artist SpY. A unique kinetic artwork in which 24 large rings move across an interior space following a series of subtle choreographic patterns. The piece was commissioned for the main atrium of Insespital in Bern, Switzerland.
ADVANCED ART IN A BRAND-NEW, OUTSTANDING HOSPITAL
“Loops” is permanently installed at the atrium of the brand-new main building of Inselspital in Bern, designed by architecture firm Archipel to host the Swiss Cardiovascular Center and the Interdisciplinary Organ Center of the hospital. Boasting sixteen storeys and over 82,000 square meters, the building stands out in the landscape from miles around. It is the first and central structure in a four-decade master plan that will double the size of the hospital, already the largest in Switzerland. The building is one of the most advanced hospital facilities in the
world. Its state-of-the-art design follows the Minergie-P-Eco norm, the highest standard in Switzerland for energy-efficient buildings.
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH
SpY teamed up with leading engineering firm MKT and with design consultancy
Studio Banana to devise this groundbreaking artwork, born from a pioneering vision on the implementation of art in hospital spaces. Devising an approach that would add human level value to the technical and architectural excellence of one of the most advanced hospitals in the world was the great challenge in this project. SpY’s answer to this question is “Loops”, an innovative site-specific artwork designed to provide an overall atmosphere of serenity and well-being for patients, hospital workers and visitors.
ART CAN HEAL
Patients are at the centre of advanced hospital design. Used as an architectural
device, site-specific installation provides a vast potential in the re-envisioning of
hospitals as more humane environments. Art has been shown to improve health,
and its effect on the brain is known to be similar to that of love. We know, both from science and from intuition, that art has the potential to heal. The design of “Loops” is based upon these principles. Aiming at a thorough influence, the elegant and intriguing movements of the sculpture gently stimulate not only the eye, but also the mind of the viewer.
THE ARTWORK
“Loops” builds upon SpY’s celebrated line of work in which modularity and movement are orchestrated to unprecedented effect. Visually direct and free of artifice, the piece unfolds its complexity with the gradual development of its sophisticated choreographic patterns. The shape of the artwork shifts constantly, as its elements draw their ethereal movements across the atrium space and arrange themselves in a myriad combinatorial patterns.
A SUBTLE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPACE AND THE VIEWER
“Loops” is a highly site-specific piece that resulted from a particularly attentive formal approach to the context. Its shape and movements have been meticulously crafted to work with their surroundings in subtle yet effective ways. The form of the sculpture is designed in two complementing directions. The weightless rings against an impressive cuadrangular space provide an underlaying contrast, while the shape and movement of the artwork firmly set the tone towards calm and harmony. The five floors around the hospital atrium allow for a wide range of different points of view upon the piece. As the viewer moves and the sculpture
shifts, the resulting visual readings multiply infinitely. In the blink of an eye, a new artwork is discovered.
THE SHIFTING MODES OF THE SCULPTURE
The piece is programmed in different modes, in which the choreographies adapt to the changing dynamics within the hospital. The rings re-arrange themselves together in the middle of the atrium space every hour, with one or more of the 24 rings remaining lit up to indicate the time. During the night the sculpture enters a ‘calm’ mode, staying in the middle of the atrium and displaying only some slight movements. The kinetic dimension of the piece is designed to surprise, but also to allow for a comfortable co-habitation with those who stay longer at the hospital — both patients and workers.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
The production of “Loops” has been entrusted to the world-leading German engineering firm MKT. SpY worked closely with the professionals at MKT for over
two years in the development of bespoke technical solutions for the project. The
precise movements of the sculpture are produced by 24 sophisticated motors
designed, developed and tested specifically for “Loops” by MKT’s engineers at the company’s facilities in Munich. MKT has been in charge as well of the tailored
production of all other elements in the piece, and of the in-situ implementation of the installation in Bern.
