#Inspiration
ronald van der meijs comments on consumerism with squaring the sphere
dutch architect and designer ronald van der meijs was selected as one of 20 to participate in the 2015 sculpture space residency, which takes place over two months in utica new york.
the north eastern city — approx. 50 miles east of syracuse — is one of many rust belt cities that suffered severe economic decline from the mid-20th century onwards. as industry disappeared, so did the town’s population, leaving countless warehouses and residences to rot with time.
van der meijs’ concept — titled ‘squaring the sphere’ — is based on the never-ending growth and decay sequence of consumerism. the installation is composed of specially connected plastic bags that inflate and deflate every nine minutes — all the while making the crinkling sound associated with their physicality. slowly, the identity of the piece transforms from a form almost bursting from its seams, to a shrunken, dead hunk of material. the shape, when fully erect, resembles an old-fashioned glass tv screen bulb; an intentional move that inextricably links television to notions of consumerism and modern advertising.
plastic shopping bags used were sealed and connected by hand in order to create the final form. integrated into each is a pvc connected, which connects to a flexible 5mm air hose. all brass components were designed and produced by van der meijs himself. the intervention was displayed during van der meijs’ residency in august of this year, in an empty warehouse on whitesboro street in utica, new york, USA.
