Conceived and built by Mattia Paco Rizzi and Jessica Bergstein-Collay, Taumascopio has been realized on the occasion of the 3rd edition of Festival Kanal, held in Brussels in September 2014. Through performances, games, temporary installations, and live shows, the event aimed to invite people to reason about the urban development strategy for the Molenbeek Canal area.
Taumatoscopio is a large, accessible origami, that mirrors surfaces and creates an over-scaled kaleidoscope effect. Installed during the Festival, it will be on display in Brussels’ squares across the entire 2015.
The installation is constituted of a wooden battens structure, clad with panels made in plywood coated with 3 mm thick reflecting PMMA foil.
Its mirroring surface makes Taumatoscopio blend with the surrounding environment, while internally producing a strong effect of image multiplication.
Furthermore, thermal excursion modifies the reflecting geometry producing ever-changing results, sometimes a perfectly geometric mirroring and some others more vague and almost liquid-looking effects.
Beyond its recreational appearance, Taumatoscopio is actually a poetic invitation to meditate, through both a physical and a perceptual involvement, in the public realm and on its users’ behaviors.
All images courtesy of Mattia Paco Rizzi
19 rue Bisson – 75020 Paris -France
www.mattiapacorizzi.com