BREATHING MACHINE (1990)

This piece embodies the author’s artistic utopia: to give life to machines. Of course, it is a metaphorical artistic operation, and as such perfectly interpreted by the artist. Extremely essential and “minimal” in its mechanics, the machine consists of two main elements: a generating body and two receiver and emitter pipes. A piston rod drives the cyclical movement of a compressor/aspirating cylinder. This causes air to be emitted which is channelled into two pipes terminating in two hearing pieces. When the hearing pieces are placed on the ears, the cyclical inspiration and expiration of the machine can be heard. The machine really does breathe, and this simple operation endows mere mechanical movements with great poetry.