Atelier Van Lieshout

Maniac

2016

Over the past three years, Atelier Van Lieshout has been working on a series of kinetic sculpture machines. Works include Si Gale Gale, a Man turned Machine, and The Maniac, a dynamic Monument for Machines.

With these mechanical works, Van Lieshout draws a parallel with the historic Kinetic Art movement, but also gives us a glimpse of possible world to come, a future where robots will be omnipresent. Demographic decline could create a necessity for robotica, for machines to take over the workload. When the population recovers, people can live like Homo Ludens, who only need to preoccupy themselves with the essence of life. This could lead to a utopian society where people can live life to the fullest but may also lead to violence and extremism.