‘ahimsa’ (‘do no harm’ in hindu and buddhist tradition) by constantine zlatev is a kinetic artwork that pays tribute to nonviolent resistance and the inspiring persons whose work and actions exemplify these principles. made out of a decommissioned smith & wesson revolver, the installation functions as an automated slide projector.
ahimsa — respect for all living things and avoidance of violence and harm toward others, whether in deeds, words, thoughts or intentions
the six slides embedded in the revolver’s rotating cylinder depict the following individuals: mahatma gandhi, martin luther king jr., muhammad ali, ursula franklin, desmond doss, eric bogle. the installation is accompanied by brief detail about each of the personalities.
a round steel plate becomes the projector’s screen
mahatma gandhi (1869 – 1948) — an indian politician & activist. employing nonviolent civil disobedience, gandhi led india to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
martin luther king, jr. (1929 – 1968) — an american baptist minister & activist, king advanced american civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, becoming one of the most notable leaders in the civil rights movement.
ursula franklin (1921– 2016) — a german-canadian scientist, pacifist and feminist, whose research helped end atmospheric nuclear testing. she wrote and spoke extensively about the futility of war and the connection between peace and social justice.
desmond doss (1919 – 2006) — a US army corporal & conscientious objector who served as a combat medic in world war ii. doss refused to kill an enemy soldier or carry a weapon into combat and became the only conscientious objector to receive the medal of honor for his actions during the 2nd world war.
eric bogle (born 1944) — a scottish folk singer-songwriter, settled in australia. several of bogle’s most famous songs tell of the futility or loss of war. prominent among these is ‘and the band played waltzing matilda’ (1971), and ‘no man’s land’ (1976). others based on similar themes include ‘my youngest son came home today’ (1983) and ‘as if he knows’ (2001).
muhammad ali (1942 – 2016) — an american professional heavyweight boxer, philanthropist & activist. widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, ali’s actions as a conscientious objector to the vietnam war made him an icon in the antiwar & civil rights movements.
a small adjustable lens focuses the images onto the screen
a powerful LED custom-fitted into the gun frame provides the projector’s light source
image of MLK jr. projected onto the screen
the mechanism is automated via a simple lever system with a small motor connected to a microprocessor
the revolving cylinder holds 6 slides, with each activation, the installation goes through a full cycle of 6 images
project info:
designer: constantine zlatev
materials: decommissioned smith & wesson revolver, steel plate, brass, LED light, electronics
dimensions: 12 x 6 x 8 in
programming: kostadin ilov
created for: the art of peace program
produced by: the robby poblete foundation in collaboration with united playaz
gun parts provided by: the san francisco police department
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: maria erman | designboom
