PLANETARIUM
By setting up a site specific projection at UCL North Observatory,
Planetarium
stages the parallelism between perception of space and observation of the sky. Inside the small octagonal building, covered in black felt and cushions for the viewers to lie down, round coloured objects appear and disappear in sequence on different portions of the dome. The eyes of the viewer follow the projected beam of light, wonder about the identity of the figures it creates, while becoming aware of the architectural features its brightness reveals here and there.
The projected objects are ordinary domestic items, decontextualised and posed, for their volumes, abundant details and decorative patterns, as analogue shapes of planets, galaxies and stars. Their mysterious identity as objects has the power to trigger subjective memory, complementing the physiologic function of the eyes when making sense of the geography of the dark observatory, by helping to connect it to a familiar dimension.
The entrance to the building is marked on the outside by a screen printed golden flag showing a symbolic representation of the dynamic of gaze set up inside.