Fan // House of Laudanum

Fan
Jennifer Turpin & Macalie Crawford, October 2002

Video 2.11 Minutes
For a commission for a public sculpture celebrating the Centenary of Women's Sufferage in Australia

Fan is a large scale (21m) wind activated kinetic sculpture. It is the winner in a competitive commission for a site between Old Parliament House and New Parliament House, Federation Mall in Canberra, the capital of Australia.

The artists approached us to produce a short video to communicate to the judging panel the nature of the movement that could be expected by the sculpture. The artists submitted drawings, architectural renderings and plans, engineering and scientific reports, but find that the addition of a video to the submission describes the missing element, movement perfectly and convincingly.

The elevated semi-circular kinetic sculpture will rest in an open fan position until engaged by the wihd. The individual blades will then move fluidly in a mermerising rhythm driven by nature. This collaborative performance between art and nature activates the monumental symmetry of Canberra's Land Axis.