ArRay depicts photosynthesis in a humanoid robot plant. The work is based on the idea that a specific movement occurs in the structures of vegetation within a short time, usually in response to light. Bolygó’s lumino-kinetic sculpture uses a memory-keeping smart substance – nitinol – instead of mechanical parts to continuously transform itself. The nanostructure of this material allows two solid crystal structures to alternate depending on the ambient temperature. Physical motion is generated during heat transfer. ArRay redefines man’s relationship with nature in his responsibility to exploit the living environment, and provides an aesthetic interpretation of the impact of human activity on the Earth’s ecosystem at the time of the anthropocene. Assembled from filigree parts and evoking the workings of a living organism, the machine acts as a visual metaphor for vulnerability, while inviting the viewer to experience the sovereignty and power of nature through the senses, pointing to the possibility of the interconnectedness of human and artificial worlds and the vulnerability of the biosphere.

Bálint Bolygó (1976, Pécs) explores the mysterious fields of invention, creativity, and engineering. Eliminating the imprint of the artist’s creative hand, he makes the elementary forces of nature, and the interactions between optical phenomena the author of his works. As a result, the mechanical devices he imagines are realized as generative and autonomous constructs based on the often invisible laws of physics.