Taneli Luotoniemi
The abstract concept of the fourth spatial dimension has had a lasting effect on western thought, science and art. My doctoral work in the interdisciplinary context of mathematics and art studies the possibility of making kinetic 3-dimensional objects that represent hyperspatial subject matter and have the visual quality of an art piece. Using graphic, plastic and virtual media I experiment with interlacing constructions. These experiments are informed by the theoretical background of low-dimensional geometry and topology, namely projections and knot theory. My goal is to mediate hyperspatial understanding, contextualize and enrich the spatial methods of the art practice and contribute to the study of the methodology of artistic research.
The inspiration for the “Kinochoron” came when I saw the animation film “Dimensions” by Aurélien Alvarez, Étienne Ghys, and Jos Leys. I was mesmerized by the stereographic projections of 4-dimensional polychora and the visual effect achieved by rotating the polychora in 4-space. I wondered if it could be possible to make a physical model exhibiting the same ‘hyper-rotation’, and understood that it would be a rewarding and difficult design challenge. The result of this undertaking is a manipulable model based on a stereographic projection of the 16-cell, which it is, to my knowledge, first of its kind.