Fountaine, 14 Spheres 1999

Editor: Okay, so here we have Pol Bury's "Fountaine, 14 Spheres" from 1999, a kinetic sculpture made from metal. It's an odd piece, quite cold somehow...all those perfect, shiny orbs stuck on the wall, not sure if they are emerging from it or are about to fall off. What do you make of this artwork? Curator: Well, it makes me think about childhood, believe it or not. Those metallic spheres are like oversized Christmas ornaments, reflecting the light and distorting the surroundings in playful ways. Do you get that slightly dizzying effect, the world turned into a funhouse mirror? It's about the surprise of seeing something familiar in a new way. Editor: Yeah, I get that. There’s something slightly unsettling, too. A clinical, sterile feeling from the metal, maybe. Where do you think Bury was going with that? Curator: Possibly playing with the contrast. You see the spheres’ almost joyful reflections against the unyielding coldness of the metallic support. The fountains themselves imply motion and fluidity; in opposition with the immutable metal orbs and wall. Is it a battle, or a strange ballet of opposing forces? Editor: Ballet – that's a great way to put it! So, there’s a bit of performance in the viewing as our perspective shifts. It is also amazing how this all was conceived before any digital tools where in wide use. Curator: Exactly! Bury wanted to shake things up. His art makes us question what we expect to see, how we perceive movement and space. It's a clever wink from a poetic soul. He used contrasts masterfully; spheres versus rectangular support; liquid versus solid and mobile vs static to trigger our curiosity. I imagine he might chuckle that his metallic ballet still sparks such a conversation.