Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), Perth, Australia

The project was constructed of reclaimed materials from the demolition of an old soft drink factory in the neighbourhood of the studio. The project emerged from an investigation of the boom economy of the region and the shotgun architecture that has accompanied it. The resulting stress on resources such as water have led to a situation where development threatens to overwhelm the region’s possibilities to support itself.

The centrifuge (or gravitational simulator) is used to train astronauts and pilots to withstand increased forces of gravity during maneuvers at high speeds. The installation consisted of a structure constructed from reclaimed wood with two small cabins facing each other at opposite ends of a cantilevered arm. The potential energy from the centrifuge is complicated by the fact that the structure is made of waste wood, and creaks and moves when climbed on. If it were to move, there is every likelihood that it would selfdestruct. The precarious balance between structures and materials within the space of the studio reflects the situation perth finds itself in, socially and ecologically.