Elmich’s global footprint was recently expanded with a project in Venice, the world’s most romantic city. Approximately 160 VersiJack® pedestals were used to support an art installation, named “Living Rocks: A Fragment of the Universe”, now showing as an official collateral event at La Biennale di Venezia, presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
The art piece, commissioned by Australian artists James Darling and Lesley Forwood, is an inspiring and immersive experience that connects the present day to the beginning of life on earth. The artists used the distinctive roots of an arid land eucalyptus to create the ‘living rocks” and integrated the sculpatures with moving image and sound as water floods the astonishing Magazzini del Sale (museum), a historic stone salt storehouse in Venice.
The uneven stone brick floor at the historical installation site meant that pedestal supports had to be used to level the exhibit’s platform while providing enough load-bearing capacity for the platform to be mounted on. Elmich height-adjustable pedestals were selected, thanks to its ease of use, strength, and reliability.
To create an optimal substructure, various models across the VersiJack® family of pedestals were used. Thrombolites, the titular “living rocks”, were created from timber mallee roots, forming the centrepieces of the installation, floating above a lake measuring 30m by 3.25m. In all, the various pieces of the installation weighed over 17 tonnes, proving the performance of the VersiJack® pedestal as a raised platform support.
Image from McGregor Wright Services
Project Credits:
Curator: Dr Lisa Slade
Artists: James Darling & Lesley Forwood,
Light Projection: Jumpgate VR
Composer: Paul Stanhope & The Australian String Quartet
References: