Guest
The Swiss artist Roman Signer’s ’sculptural moments’ use harnessed energy and movement to make objects do things they would not normally do. I’m writing this on the day that two Swiss are setting off to fly round the world in a plane fuelled solely by solar power. Here a kayak is being hauled at a sedate pace through the Curve - a 90 metre-long corridor/gallery - towed by a rope suspended from the ceiling. The kayak has variously been described as a javelin or a pine needle or a sardine. At first sight the fumbling movement is amusing, then inscrutable and finally slightly alarming. Roman Signer said ’When I first saw the Curve it looked like a tunnel so I had a vision of the kayak that is pulled through this special space turning on itself at the end and taking the same path back’. It looks simple but the dimension of the kayak’s turning circle is a challenge. Photo Tristan Fewings, Getty Image Then look at this video of a grey stony path. Signer is dragged along it, just managing to keep upright. At o
