Swedish artist Love Hulten’s pieces can be enjoyed as stand-alone art, but most of the works are functioning devices, with working series of knobs, buttons, screens, and receivers. The result is often something that seems as though it was ripped out of a vintage sci-fi film, often incorporating hidden, modern technology that makes it function. Hulten’s work is at home in both a gallery and a tech expo. Find his work on Instagram here.
The series The Brix System, modeled after LEGO space sets, features its own set of devices that can be used as walkie talkies or sound manipulation. In a statement, Hulten discusses his aim with his fantastical devices and sculptures: “I want my objects to create a state of curiosity – not just nostalgia. Nostalgia is involved to a certain extent, yes, but not by looking backwards. It’s by taking steps in different directions simultaneously by using fragments from both the past and the present, creating unique and balanced objects.”
Flourishes like lights and glowing planetariums add to the mystery built into each device. And even though we may encounter more advanced technology in our pockets each day, there’s something more elegant and absorbing in the simplicity of Hulten’s work, in both function and overall design. Check out a video demo here.
Kara Walker's recent Hyundai Commission is a 45-foot-high fountain at Tate Modern, exploring the historical tether between Africa, America and Europe with inspiration from the Victoria Memorial in London. Water, Tate says, has its own significance in the work, “referring to the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from these three continents.” The title of the work: “Fons Americanus.”