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The Reversing Machine

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Events
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Date

1 - 31 January 2014

Sam Belinfante, Simon Lewandowski and Project Space Leeds invite artists to submit sound works to the Palindrone Jukebox, as part of their exhibition The Reversing Machine at Leeds’ new contemporary art space The Tetley opening in January 2014.

The Reversing Machine was originally commissioned for an exhibition in 2012 at Art Laboratory Berlin as part of their Time and Technology series. Conceived by artists Simon Lewandowski and Sam Belinfante.

Its core is a self-reversing mechanical power source; as a drive shaft is powered, any devices attached turn at a steady 33.3rpm for two-and-a-half minutes then stop and turn in the opposite direction for the same amount of time - a mechanical palindrome. The sequence is controlled mechanically and is transparent to the viewer, showing its own workings - if not always clearly.

The repertoire of devices driven by the Reversing Machine act out ways in which we can perceive the passage of time through the action of things and forces in the world. A light moves back and forth across the ceiling, constantly changing the shadows in the gallery space. A set of cheap bathroom striplights forms a digital readout counting up or down, a pierced cylindrical drum casts hypnotic shadows in sequence, all varying with the phases of the Reversing Machine like heavenly bodies, a sequence of slides projects words whose forward or reverse order forms different meanings and so on.

Central to the installation will be a pair of turntables driven by the Machine with a shelf of vinyl records, which visitors can select from and play on the turntables. This is the Palindrone Jukebox (palindrone: sounding back again). The records will be compositions selected from this open submission that are intended to be played both forwards and backwards – all the works submitted will be compiled on a CD that will be sold by the gallery to support this and other artist projects.

Find out more here: www.timeshiftreverse.com