A Truly Magical Moment

Interactive kinetic sculpture. 2016.
1m x 1m x 1m. 2 x iPhone 4s, selfie sticks, aluminum, electronics, bluetooth chips.

Two lovers in the middle of the dance floor. They link arms and begin to spin. The room blurs as they stare deep into each other’s eyes.

Perhaps most iconically captured in James Cameron’s 1997 epic, Titanic, this classic scene is found throughout modern romantic cinema, complete with over-the-shoulder and point-of-view cinematography. In A Truly Magical Moment, visitors can re-enact this “Magical Moment” using the contemporary communication tool for many long-distance relationships: Apple’s proprietary FaceTime technology.

Gallery visitors and online guests can use their iPhones or computers to video chat the two FaceTime accounts. When two guests connect one to each phone in a virtual “face to face”, the sculpture begins to spin, reaching dizzying speeds while romantic music plays in the background. At top speed, the background blurs and warps, while the image of your dance-partner remains in focus.

After 60 seconds of a “Truly Magical Moment” - a wordless, “genuine connection” with another person - the rotation slows down to a standstill, while a nearby digital counter keeps count of the amount of “Magical Moments” enabled throughout the exhibition.

A Truly Magical Moment was made possible by financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts and The Agosto Fondation.

Microprocessor programming: Lucas Paris
Consultation: Antonin Sorel

photos by Adam Basanta.