Shadows Out of Time

Artist, sculptor, and interactive guru Scott Snibbe believes that 'seemingly independent phenomena are, upon analysis, actually interdependent with their environments.' His ten years of brilliant performative works, ranging from subtle and fantastic to jarring and invasive, have explored personal boundaries, movement in space, physical perception, visual communication, and how each of these effects the other. 'Central Mosaic' is his latest commission for the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie. Similar to his 'Deep Walls' (2003), and part of the same series, this piece records the shadows of people as they walk in front of a projection screen, then replays them in silhouette. Each embodied animation is slowly pushed out from the center, simultaneously spiraling clockwise and growing smaller, while new shadows are birthed. Its aesthetic wreaks of Time's Arrow, Peter Pan, and The Bells, in a cocktail of fear, playfulness, and nostalgia. 'Central Mosaic' premiered on October 18, in Paris' Parc Villette, as part of the exhibition, 'L'ombre a la portée des enfants: Ombres et lumière,' and will run for a full year. Come and see the light. - nathaniel stern