Taumatrop: Loop
Work is based upon a famous 19th century optical illusion toy called Thaumatrope, which was a two-state-animation generating disc by rapid rotation. New structure is made out of aluminum using today’s prototyping and manufacturing methods to meet desired industrial look. Laser-cut aluminum parts have been machined and powder coated. Its structure consists of a base with internal electronics, motor unit, transfer unit and two legs with the animation disk in between. Taumatrop is a progressive study on physical media players. Its animation disks can easily be swapped with a few screws in order to provide an updateable content.

This Taumatrop has a typographic story focused on “the other side of the medallion” idiom. Each unit has two faces and two separately illegible texts. Full meaning can only be perceived through illusion by rotation and the triptych arrangement. Turkish sentences of “half-full”, “half-empty” and “round and round” refer to dissidence and system loops.

Taumatrop has brought to life in collaboration with Ufuk Barış Mutlu.

Exhibits:
April 2017, Illusionoscope, Gaia Gallery, Istanbul.

Special thanks to Zafer Çömlekci for the manufacturing support.

Photos: Doruk Kumkumoğlu

Materials: Aluminum sheet, steel rod, DC motor, ball bearing, belt, pulley, open-source microcontroller, miscellaneous electronics, miscellaneous hardware, powder coating.

Dimensions: 200x300x300 mm

2017, Istanbul