Mechanical Art Devices Gallery—more commonly known as M.A.D.Gallery by MB&F—is a Geneva-based institution that exhibits, well … mechanical art devices.
M.A.D.Gallery’s specialty is perhaps best exemplified by its latest exhibition, “Dynamic Structures.” The show, on view through Feb. 6, exhibits six works by Dutch artist Willem van Weeghel, all of which are perpetually in motion.
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Shown in motion above, van Weeghel’s works move elegantly and may appear in completely different configurations depending on when you catch them. The works themselves are color-blocked and, from an outsider’s perspective, appear minimalist. But the complications of the movements suggest that the works are anything but. Van Weeghel’s process includes utilizing computer animation to pre-test the kinetic art—if it works, it’s then built out in a 3D computer-aided drafting (CAD) program. Though the intricacies of his pieces are integral to their existence, that aspect is not necessarily the main thing van Weeghel wants the audience to consider.
“I always work from the front,” van Weeghel said in a press release. “I have an idea of what the spectator should see or should feel with the piece, and then I try to achieve it with technical means.”
The result is a hypnotizing mingling of colors and shapes that feels like ASMR—albeit for the eyes.
On view at M.A.D.Gallery Geneva (Rue Verdaine 11, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland) through February 6.
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(Photos & Video: Courtesy M.A.D.Gallery)
