When you see this installation, you might be reminded of a scene right out of Ghostbusters, where a ghost is being sucked up into the Ghostbusters' proton packs. Ascension is an ongoing series of site-specific installations by Indian-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor.
The installation has been featured in Italy, China, and Brazil, and each time, features a long, thin spiral of smoke that appears to be rising to the ceiling in an animated swirl. The piece consists of a solid base surrounded by four pillars lined with fans. The air from the fans circulates and forces the smoke to rise. The artist says, “In my work, what is and what seems to be often become blurred. In Ascension, for example, what interests me is the idea of immateriality becoming an object, which is exactly what happens in Ascension: the smoke becomes a column.”
If you like this concept, you may enjoy some of Kapoor's other work including his massive balloon installation, entitled Leviathan.
Anish Kapoor's website
via [Not Shaking the Grass], [Designboom]
