"Time brings all things to pass"
Aeschylus (525/524 BC - 456/455 BC)
Solaris Nexum explores our changing connection to the sun through technological shifts of various ages. Through a double-sided surface of suspended mirrors, Solaris Nexum is a helical structure projected onto catenary arches, allowing continually changing reflections in response to the shifting light.
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Carr approaches celestial architecture, advances in optics, and renewable energy as paradigm-shifting technologies, drawing together periods of human history with a potential future for humankind.
Firstly, the instinctive, Neolithic era, when humankind was rooted to the environment and in greater connection to the ebb and flow of natural cycles. The panel shape of the mirrors utilises static and dynamic triangles from sacred geometry to acknowledge the platonic elements while giving a sense of movement, evolution and the perpetual change of natural systems. The sunlight at the summer solstice is directed through a column of glass beads, echoing the function of Neolithic sites such as Newgrange. The solar column is placed at the centre of the overall form of the sculpture; the outer shell of the form represents the celestial firmament and our then skyward-looking nature.
Secondly, the analytical, mechanistic and deterministic view of the renaissance brought about by the shift from a geocentric perspective of the universe to a heliocentric viewpoint, bringing with it significant religious repercussions. Two-way mirrors have been utilised to reference Newtonian optics that allowed mankind to delve into the microcosm, with the inner mirror surface of the sculpture representing our inward-looking phase of understanding. The structure has been divided based on a five-fold repetition of the DNA double helix, to highlight our perceived shift of place in the cosmos, the spiral intersections suggestive of natural forms. Reminiscent of apparatus for astronomical observations, the layered mirrors reference moiré patterns, parallax and illusion to remind us to question what we believe to be true.
Thirdly, a representation of our current state of being and an acknowledgment of our advances in technology and material science. We are equipped with the knowledge of our impact on the environment and have the means to exist responsibly, respectfully and intelligently. This third age is reflected in the structure of the sculpture which is informed by sun towers; the angling of the mirrored panels pay homage to solar panel orientation, the tracking of the sun and celestial bodies, further highlighting our solar connection. The use of double-sided mirrored surfaces references the inward and outward nature of societal views, a movement in focus between the macrocosm and the microcosm, and brings weight to the value of the truth contained within a multitude of perspectives. Similarly, through the use of two-way mirrors, the environment, the building and the viewer are reflected in the sculpture, while being reflected in itself. As our vision is challenged through the changing light, Solaris Nexum provokes a perspective shift from a control of the environment to being responsive to it. It is an invitation to move towards a symbiotic and holistic approach to our environment, with a view to achieving a technological utopia in balance with nature.
The sculpture serves as a monument to solar connection through the ages of technology, encourages us to retain a respect for nature and to intelligently live in harmony with its resources, moving towards a technologically symbiotic age. Carr invites us to look both inwards and outwards to embrace all spheres of being into one harmonious whole.
After studying at Central Saint Martins (Fine Art Foundation, 2000) and Camberwell College of Art (Bachelor of Arts, 2003) in London, Carr exhibited at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, Pain Couture in collaboration with Jean-Paul Gaultier, in 2004. More recently, The Sea Cabinet, Snape Maltings and Wilton Music Hall in 2013, Innovation Society (NESTA), Autumn 2014 exhibition, London. She was appointed by the seminal band Radiohead, to create a commemorative sculpture for their longstanding staff. Her résumé includes being shortlisted for the Arts@CERN COLLIDE International Award 2016 and longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2017, 2019 and 2020. Carr frequently exhibits and works internationally including Struktur at the Verket Museum, Avesta, Sweden in 2016, at various project spaces in Iceland, where she presented Structures in 2014, Transitions in 2015 and participated at the light festival List í Ljósi in 2016. Furthermore, she spent six months at the artists’ collective HEIMA, in Seyðisfjörður, as an artist in residence and mentor.
In 2017, the Arts Council commissioned Carr in conjunction with Ely Science Festival to produce her solo show Bodies of Movement, which was exhibited at Ely Cathedral. Furthermore, she was awarded a Leverhulme funded residency in Durham, titled Sculpting with Light, investigating medieval and modern cosmology in collaboration with physicists, historians and cosmologists. Followed by Suspensio at the Damon Wells Chapel, Pembroke College, Oxford in 2018, Empyrean, at Ushaw College, University of Durham 2018 - 2019 and Weight of Light, at York Festival of Ideas in 2019. In addition, she has presented papers at Oxford and Durham University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as taking part in panel discussions. She has been artist in residence at Josephine Butler College, Durham, working on Axis Mundi, a project that explored the connection between heaven and earth, the four cardinal directions, the elements and alchemy. Since January 2020, Carr has been a fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies, to collaboratively produce biological smart materials. She completed Solaris Nexum in 2021, her largest commission to date.
For further information contact about Alexandra Carr's work
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Newsletter and video:
Solaris Nexum, 2021, images courtesy and ©Alexandra Carr.
Commissioned by Grangegorman Development Agency for TU Dublin, Ireland. Supported by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Colin Rennie, Cconsult Engineering Design Limited, Blended Management Group, Renée Pfister Art & Gallery Consultancy, London, Architectural Metalworkers Ltd, Ormiston Wire Ltd, Bay Plastics Ltd, Abseil Access, W.H.Scott and Son Engineers Ltd, Constantine Ltd, music: Eric Matyas Nature Science 2 / Soundimage.org with the assistance of Galina Matveeva. All rights reserved.