Through the Gorilla Glass, 2011

Spencer Rand - Toronto, Canada
Patrick Svilans - Toronto, Canada
Andrea Ling - Toronto, Canada
Jonah Humphrey - Toronto, Canada
GUILD - Toronto, Canada

Kinetic Sculpture and Light Installation

Through the Gorilla Glass explores the ideas of communication through physical and spatial experience. Situated atop City Hall's green roof, illuminated dancing wave patterns invite visitors to approach the project, where they see a sculpture made of mechanical arms that wave in sequence. The arms may be moved at different points along the length of the sculpture by visitors. As a visitor engages physically with the work’s sculptural interface, waves of musical movement are triggered.  The machine moves and reacts, triggering a series of sensors and lights, designed to respond to specific movements. The inspiration, Gorilla Glass, is a scratch resistant glass developed by Corning in the 1960s that was primarily used in automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical industries. With the advent of touch screens, Corning saw the opportunity to use the thin, extra durable and pristinely clear glass as the cover for almost all mobile devices that require a touch screen interface. GUILD looks past the surface of the interface deep into the mechanism.

GUILD is an artistic collaboration between four friends from the University of Waterloo’s Architecture program.  Jonathan Wong, Spencer Rand, Andrea Ling and Jonah Humphrey design and produce artwork linked by a common interest in making things that inspire interaction and social change. They are phenomenological designers, focused on creating awareness of one’s surroundings in developing sensations and emotions that are associated with the physical environment.

Suitable for all ages