Pierre Lionel Matte

Exhibition View, Amnesia, Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum
10/11

Machine Spirits

Project for The Norwegian Sculpture Biennale 2011, and The Exhibition TOYS, Villa Alemana , Chile

A series of sculptures, variable size, carton packaging folded and cut

From the start of the industrial revolution, our relations to machines and science has been dominated by myths and fantasies: of unlimited power and optimism about the future; the machines was also considered one of the things that distinguished the modern European man from the superstitious people of the colonies.

In our daily interaction with technology and machines it´s  taken for granted that we have a rational relation to these. But the machines also inspires awe and a sense of controlling powers. They are our helpers in everyday life, and we relate to them psychologically. The machines become animated.

Consumer goods´ packaging , with its design and polished look , creates  expectations. While being a stand-in for the machines, their inside hides a perfectly matched cavity. It is as if the package is loaded with some of the machine´s seductive properties.

The sculptures are produced by cutting, folding and assembling carton packaging and polystyrene.