This is one of the odder works of art at MOMA that Y and I saw a few weeks back. It’s Marcel Duchamp‘s Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics) from 1925. The spinning lines on the half-globe under the plexiglass dome creates a pulsing effect optical illusion when it is turned on. Perhaps to preserve the original motor at its base, it is operated via a geared down electric motor off to the side of its base. It’s only turned on twice a day for five minutes each time–at 11:00am and 3:30pm. It’s an interesting assemblage of electrical and mechanical technologies to create the whole work of art.
