Inversive Enclosure Set up / Alsar Atelier + Oscar Zamora + Karim Saleh Studio (KSS) + Pietro Mendonca

“Inversive Enclosure” is without doubt one of the 4 installations designed in 2023 for the First Arts Pageant at Harvard College. With the assist of the Workplace of the Arts, this set up is positioned in Harvard Yard, which isn’t solely the oldest part but in addition the symbolic coronary heart of the campus. Impressed by the mathematical idea of three-dimensional inverse geometry, the undertaking seeks to seize the essence of its fast atmosphere by means of reflection and inversion on the surfaces.

Spanning an space of 350 sq. meters, “Inversive Enclosure” consists of an oblong house with a transparent round in its heart, forming the ultimate enclosure. The boundaries of the house are outlined by a collection of mylar strips which are hooked up to the ground and the primary construction of the set up. These mylar strips create a pixelated circle
, interrupted on two reverse sides to permit entry and circulation of holiday makers. 

To intensify its closed nature, the mylar skirts slope upwards, reaching eye stage on the perimeter and producing a convex house that momentarily separates guests from the standard notion of Harvard Yard. Regardless of being overshadowed by the abundance of bricks and huge expanses of inexperienced areas, Harvard Yard has a homogeneous visible id and social significance for Harvard College. Usually missed by passersby, the primary purpose of this undertaking is to supply guests with an introspective expertise that permits them to rediscover and reconnect with their environment. 

The Yard consists of discrete buildings with various however related character in dimension and quantity, organized round courtyards and quadrangles. These constructions, together with the duvet of quite a few mature bushes, create a way of enclosure. On this sense, “Inversive Enclosure” turns into an enclosure inside an enclosure, an set up that monumentalizes and distorts each the pure and constructed components of the house, thus participating with the historical past of the Yard. 

The materiality, tactility, and environmental circumstances of the set up result in the darkening of the prevailing components, that are mirrored on its surfaces. By difficult our perceptions and understanding of the place and our relationship with it, this set up provokes contemplation and invitations guests to query their place throughout the atmosphere.