The Still Centre
Architectures of Control, curated by Nick Slater.The Still Centre, commissioned by Radar, Loughborough University’s UK contemporary art programme is part of a season of work entitled ‘Architectures of Control’ consisting of two commissions, a symposium and several related events exploring ideas around social and architectural controls.
This work explores the spatial configuration of the University campus and how it might have been unplanned. Having evolved over time to become the largest single site campus in the country, Byrne became interested in the territorial use of space on campus, how people negotiate and navigate the site and how the spaces ‘in between’ are used and understood. Byrne identified the ‘geographic centre’ of the campus by locating the central pointof gravity using a map of the actual campus and balancing it on a pencil. The gravitational centre turned out to be a small garden behind the Services offices. To mark this point, Byrne has installed a temporary landmark, a windpowered kinetic sculpture that pivots on its central axis. The sculpture physically encircles ‘The Still Centre’. The garden is normally gated but was re-opened to the public for this exhibition.
Medium: Steel, mirror, concrete and plastic.
This work explores the spatial configuration of the University campus and how it might have been unplanned. Having evolved over time to become the largest single site campus in the country, Byrne became interested in the territorial use of space on campus, how people negotiate and navigate the site and how the spaces ‘in between’ are used and understood. Byrne identified the ‘geographic centre’ of the campus by locating the central pointof gravity using a map of the actual campus and balancing it on a pencil. The gravitational centre turned out to be a small garden behind the Services offices. To mark this point, Byrne has installed a temporary landmark, a windpowered kinetic sculpture that pivots on its central axis. The sculpture physically encircles ‘The Still Centre’. The garden is normally gated but was re-opened to the public for this exhibition.
Medium: Steel, mirror, concrete and plastic.
Made with the generous support of Adey Steel, Uk.
Balancing a map of Loughborough university campus on a pencil to locate the centre.
The entrance to the central site.
A smoke bomb marks the opening of the Still Centre.
