Selma Gültoprak

Aluminium pipe, reflectors, steel rope, windscreen wiper motor, concrete, wood, circuit board, mains adapter, 40 x 200 x 300 cm

THEORY ON A BORDER - Old Portrait is a kinetic installation, in which an aluminium barrier arm is swung and coordinated by a windscreen wiper motor and steel cable. The motor has a small arm which moves in a circular motion that activates the cable it’s connected to. Through the barrier’s own weight and drive, the motor is occasionally blocked, which in turn allows the barrier to swing at random and never repeat the same path through the air. The barrier and the motor mechanism are shown openly, to illustrate a character sketch. The barrier arm appears uncoordinated; it seems to have a mind of its own. It resembles a lost and confused gun barrel. The barrier and its rig are supported by a concrete plinth.