swiss artist and composer zimoun has stacked boxes, dangled steel washers and other lo-fi anomalies at NYU abu dhabi art gallery (NYUAD art gallery). each installation, five in total, have a few things in common. they’re all made from materials you could buy in bulk off alibaba for a few dollars. in a certain setting, they could all raise the hair on the back of your neck, in the most pleasant way — like little lo-fi symphonies. 

zimoun
installation view of zimoun’s work at the NYU abu dhabi art gallery
all images by john varghese

 

 

the installation features five audio-visual installations. in the video at the top of this page, 269 dc-motors circle cotton balls around and around to tap lightly on the interior of a cardboard castle. their gentle bass knockings are best listened to through noise canceling headphones before bed — and yet, they rotate 10 meters high at NYUAD art gallery.

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in total, these inventive audio-visual installations used just under 500 dc-motors, some wooden sticks, a few meters of rope, ventilators and polyurethane foil. the result is lo-fi materials that dance to percussions and trigger the ASMR-literate. interestingly, as the community of mesmerizing tingles as just recently began to pick up traction, zimoun’s tower as been a signature piece in his body of work since 2013. all of zimoun’s works at NYUAD art gallery will be on display now until june 1, 2019.

zimoun

 

 

zimoun

 

 

zimoun

 

 

 

 

exhibition information: 

 

title: zimoun
exhibition dates: february 26 – june 1 2019
address: NYU abu dhabi art gallery, saadiyat island, abu dhabi, united arab emirates
opening times: mondays – saturdays, 12pm – 8pm
admission: free