vincent leroy's 'slow echo' emulates clouds of floating glass

french artist vincent leroy toys with light and matter in his installation, ‘slow echo’. described by the artist as an ‘echo of the reflection of glass’, the piece is comprised of nine metal spines, each displaying an ellipsis of varyingly sized glass. a mechanical base creates movement in the arms, subtly working the panels into a wave-like motion that slows and stretches the volume reflected in their faces. the effect is not unlike that of a pocket of clouds, steadily making their way across the sky. 

the piece is described by the artist as an ‘echo of the reflection of glass’

the undulating mechanical arm causes the spines of the piece to swivel, playing the various reflections and refractions of light off each other. subtly implying depth while simultaneously rejecting any solid form, ‘slow echo’ suggests an overlapping of transparent layers, frozen prisms of light that are both part of and resoundingly disconnected from the world around them. ‘the overlapping creates a refelction and transparency at the same time’, explains vincent leroy. ‘like an echo, the pictures repeat in infinity. it’s a sort of glass breakage. each glass catches a part of one picture, to create another picture with all of the glass.’

‘slow echo’ is soon to be displayed at the NeC gallery in paris, france.

‘it’s a sort of glass breakage. each glass catches a part of one picture, to create another picture with all of the glass’

the mechanical arm causes the spines of the piece to swivel, playing the various reflections of light off each other

metal and glass both compliment and contrast in a subtle meditation on solidity and frailty  

each spine displays a glass ellipsis of a different size 

subtly implying depth while simultaneously rejecting a solid form

the piece is powered by a simple mechanical system

‘slow echo’ will soon be displayed in the NeC gallery in paris, france 

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edited by: peter corboy | designboom